Gareth Barry, the Aston Villa legend, has expressed a mix of amusement and pride as his former teammate James Milner broke his Premier League appearance record. Barry, who held the record since 2017, saw Milner make his 654th appearance last month, surpassing Barry's tally.
Record Broken with Fewer Minutes
Interestingly, Milner achieved this milestone having played 13,874 minutes less than Barry, which is equivalent to over 150 full games. Despite this, Barry insists there should be no asterisk next to Milner's achievement, highlighting the evolution of football tactics and squad management.
Barry's Perspective on the Game
In an interview at an Aston Villa Foundation event in Birmingham, Barry noted, "The game has changed, it's really become a bit more of a squad game. There's five subs now. James had a great period at Liverpool. He wasn't going to start every game, but he was always involved in the squads." He praised Milner as a "proper professional" and an "underrated player" who maximizes his potential.
Quiz Question Changes
Barry joked about no longer being the answer to a popular quiz question regarding Premier League appearances. However, he remains hopeful that trivia might shift focus to minutes played or yellow cards, where he still holds records. He recalled the COVID-19 era when such quizzes gained popularity, with fans frequently mentioning his name.
Barry also holds the record for most Premier League appearances for Aston Villa with 365, far ahead of Milner's 100 games for the club. The event where Barry spoke was part of promoting the new Angry Birds game at TOCA Social, launching across UK venues from March 30.
