Steven Gerrard pays James Milner tribute as ex-Liverpool star makes Premier League history

Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard paid tribute to James Milner as the ex-Reds midfielder made Premier League history on Wednesday, moving level on appearances with Gareth Barry

England's Steven Gerrard and James Milner

Steven Gerrard praised his former England teammate James Milner after the Brighton ace drew level with Gareth Barry on 653 appearances in the Premier League.

Milner came off the bench against one of his old clubs, Aston Villa, on Wednesday, to reach the landmark. He could overtake Barry and hold the record outright when Brighton takes on Brentford next time out (the Seagulls face Liverpool at the weekend, but that game is in the FA Cup).

"I am not surprised that he has matched the record," Gerrard, working as a pundit for TNT Sports, said. "I shared the dressing room with him.

"He is a wonderful guy and his longevity is incredible. He is a great role model for young players who are finding their way in the game. But let's not forget, he is a top player too.

"On and off the pitch, he has done everything right. He is very reliable and a great teammate. You can see that managers trust him to play anywhere on the pitch."

After Milner and Barry, another former Liverpool player makes the top five. David James, the only goalkeeper, is behind Ryan Giggs and Frank Lampard.

James Milner comes on for Brighton against Aston Villa.(Image: Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)

"I think that will be a special thing for him but he is focused on top of that on the ambitions from the club as well. He wants to be always successful like he was his whole life," Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler said ahead of the game.

"He is a driver of this winning mentality and I think it's very important to have these kind of players in the squad.

"They know how to win, they know what it needs to win, how you need to prepare a game, how you react in bad phases like on bad runs we have at the moment."

Milner replaced Carlos Baleba after about half an hour at Villa Park. The Cameroonian international was not injured, but he had picked up a very early booking and was therefore treading a disciplinary tightrope.

Milner is the oldest player in the Premier League this season. He is three years older than the second man on the list, Everton full-back Seamus Coleman and turned 40 last month.

Milner started his senior career with Leeds United in 2002. He then played for Newcastle United between 2004 and 2008, and later Aston Villa, Manchester City, Liverpool and Brighton.

Liverpool.com says: Milner has always been a great professional. It will be interesting to see what he does next. His experience and the coaches he has worked under could give him an advantage when it comes to becoming a manager.