James Milner exclusive: ‘Can I be bothered?’ - How Premier League record breaker joined Ballon d’Or winners Cristiano Ronaldo & Luka Modric in exclusive club

Milner has graced 656 English top-flight fixtures, with the promise of plenty more to come as he shows no sign of slowing down with the Seagulls. He is a three-time title winner, from stints at the Etihad Stadium and Anfield, with Champions League and domestic cup triumphs also figuring prominently on the most distinguished of CVs.

Success has not been enjoyed by chance, with Milner having committed fully to maximising his potential since making a senior breakthrough as a 16-year-old at Leeds. He is passing on some of that wisdom as part of Specsavers' Best Worst Team campaign, which has seen him working with Warley FC - a side that managed just one win and 18 defeats last season, while conceding 81 goals.

Milner is a living, breathing example of what can be achieved with the right blend of attitude and applicationhttps://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/james-milner-exclusive-run-until-sick-how-history-making-premier-league-title-winner-blends-old-school-new/blt9f31fd188c60d521. He expects an ever-increasing number of players to tread the path that he has trodden, with careers that extend beyond 40 years no longer reserved for veteran goalkeepers.

Milner told GOAL when asked if he sees more elite performers passing that milestone: “Yeah, I would think so. I think the squad size probably has something to do with it as well in terms of more substitutes allowed. So you're getting a 20-minute rest at the end of the game and things like that. I think that probably comes into it. I think obviously players can be rotated a bit more with the amount of games they have. And the load is tough and it's relentless as it is. And more games being added, more competitions being added. So that's obviously one side.

“But then again, on the flip side, how we're looked after, the levels of details clubs are going into in terms of recovery, nutrition and how well we're looked after. I would say there's a good chance of a lot more people playing until they're older.”

Pressed further on how he has been able to emulate the longevity of Golden Ball winners Ronaldo and Modric - who are still going strong at Al-Nassr and AC Milan respectively - Milner added on mental strength being as important as any physical traits: “I think that's probably the most important thing because if the desire to do it goes, the desire to be the best in training, the desire to, can I be bothered going in the gym today? Can I be bothered giving my all? I think the mindset is more important than the physical thing because you can push your body but as soon as you go ‘I've been doing this a long time now, I'm not sure I can be bothered going in the gym today, I've done this warm up a million times, I don't fancy it today’. I think once that goes and that disappointment of not being in the team and winning games, I think then, you know, the physical side, it might be there, but you're not going to be able to keep doing it and pushing.

“I think you need that love of the game. You need that drive. You need that determination, that goal, that feeling you're part of something at a club and that drive to be part of something and help the team around you. Probably for Cristiano, chasing 1,000 goals or whatever it is, I think that mindset is obviously really important.”

Milner has lost none of his appetite for the game, allowing a regular role to be taken up at Brighton in 2025-26. He has been working on one-year contracts at the Amex Stadium, with there every chance that another extension will be earned that allows an already impressive entry in the Premier League history books to be enhanced.

Warley FC's transformation is being documented by Specsavers in its ‘Best Worst Team’ YouTube series. Watch James Milner in episode 6 and subscribe to the Specsavers’ Best Worst Team YouTube Channel to follow the team's journey.