Former England midfielder Gareth Barry has spoken out about losing his status as a pub quiz answer, after James Milner recently broke his Premier League appearance record. Milner, who played alongside Barry at both Aston Villa and Manchester City, made his 654th top-flight appearance last month during Brighton's win over Brentford, surpassing the milestone Barry had held since 2017.
Record Surpassed with Notable Difference
What makes Milner's accomplishment particularly striking is the substantial difference in playing time between the two veterans. Milner reached the appearance landmark having played 13,874 fewer minutes than Barry – equivalent to more than 150 full matches. This discrepancy has sparked discussion among football statisticians and fans about the context of the record.
No Asterisk Required
Barry, now 45, was unequivocal in his response when asked if Milner's achievement should carry any qualification. "No, there should be no asterisk!" he told the Press Association during an Aston Villa Foundation event at TOCA Social in Birmingham.
"It was nice for other stats to come out on the back of James passing the appearance record," Barry continued. "But we had slightly different careers. The game has changed, it's really become a bit more of a squad game."
The former midfielder highlighted how tactical approaches have evolved, noting: "There's five subs now. James had a great period of time at Liverpool. He wasn't going to start every game, but he was always involved in the squads and that's probably where our careers differed slightly."
Professional Respect Between Former Teammates
Barry expressed genuine admiration for his former colleague, with whom he shared dressing rooms at club and international level. "He's an ex-teammate at two of my clubs, and also England, I know him exceptionally well," Barry said.
"And he's got to where he is for one reason: he's a proper professional, a very underrated player, and literally is squeezing everything out of his body, because he takes everything to the limit."
Pub Quiz Legacy
For years, trivia enthusiasts across Britain have written Barry's name as the answer to questions about the player with the most Premier League appearances. While Milner now holds that distinction, Barry retains other records including most minutes played and most yellow cards received.
"I remember the Covid days when the quizzes were very popular," Barry recalled. "That was definitely one where people kept telling me I was coming up in the quizzes. But you never know, they might change the question to minutes or yellow cards or something like that."
The former Aston Villa, Manchester City, and Everton midfielder's comments reflect both professional respect for Milner's longevity and philosophical acceptance of how football records evolve. His insistence that no qualification should accompany Milner's achievement demonstrates sportsmanship between two players who have defined Premier League durability across different eras of the modern game.
