James Milner has become the first football player to secure a victory against Manchester United at Old Trafford with four different club sides after Brighton & Hove Albion won on Saturday, 16th of September.
The former Liverpool midfielder now has more wins against the Red Devils than any other player in the English Premier League history.
Milner joined Brighton & Hove Albion in the summer of 2022 on a free transfer following the expiration of his Liverpool contract after trophy-laden stints with the Merseyside outfit.
The former Manchester City player made a brilliant start at the Amex, playing a crucial part in Brighton all five opening games of the season with the Seagulls winning four of them to go fourth in the table.
James Milner came off the bench to play just 13 minutes of Seagull’s 3-1 triumph over Erik ten Hag’s men at Old Trafford.
Danny Welbeck, Pascal Gross, and Joao Pedro were all on target as Brighton destroyed Man United to a third defeat in their opening five games of the 2023/2024 Premier League campaign.
A late strike from Hannibal Mejbri did little to mend the dilemma but was too late to rescue the home team from suffering a loss.
Although all three goals had been scored by the time Milner got on the pitch, his participation in the match means he has now secured a victory against the Red Devils 11 times in the league.
The 37-year-old has asserted the stature as United’s worst nightmare for himself, moving ahead of Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard and former Chelsea and Arsenal frontman Nicolas Anelka.
The veteran midfielder also has six away victories against the Red Devils since the Premier League started in 1992 and he’s the first player to have won at Old Trafford with four different clubs, which are Aston Villa, Manchester City, Liverpool, and now Brighton & Hove Albion.
James Milner has played Man United 35 times in the Premier League, he recorded 11 wins, 10 draws, and 14 losses, while scoring three goals and registering four assists in total.
Due to Milner’s longevity in the English top flight, he has met Man United 35 times behind club like Chelsea who have played the Old Trafford outfit 36 times over 22 seasons.
Only Wales legend Ryan Giggs played as many conservative seasons in the EPL as Milner, with the England International on the verge of breaking the record of the former Manchester United midfielder in the all-time appearances list this current campaign.
When Milner who is presently on 624 matches surpasses Giggs’ 632 appearances, he will be second behind Gareth Barry who has 652 Premier League appearances.
What’s next for James Milner?
The 37-year-old will be in action for the Seagulls in their first-ever European campaign on Thursday, 21st of September when Brighton lock horns against AEK Athens in the Europa League at the Amex Stadium.
Manchester United, on the other hand, will be looking forward to bouncing back to winning ways when they face Bayern Munich on Wednesday, 20th of September in the UEFA Champions League.
