Credit: Imago

Cameron Smith

Mon 1 June 2026 11:10, UK

Premier League icon James Milner has announced his retirement after breaking the competition’s appearance record last season.

Having made his debut for Leeds United in 2002, the midfielder ends his career at the age of 40, with 658 Premier League matches to his name.

After taking the record from former Everton midfielder Gareth Barry back in February, Milner made his final appearance in Brighton’s final-day clash against Manchester United at the end of last month.

Given the sheer number of games involved, it is unthinkable right now to imagine anyone reaching the new benchmark any time soon.

However, based on previous comments from Joe Cole, Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford may just have his eyes on matching that incredible feat.

Could Jordan Pickford make history with Everton?

Making the move from Sunderland in 2017, Toffees shotstopper Pickford has made 358 appearances for the Blues.

And when his relatively short top-flight stint with the Black Cats is considered, he has racked up 362 in the Premier League – over half of Milner’s incredible record.

Back when the record was broken, former Chelsea forward Cole earmarked Pickford as someone capable of going on and eventually beating that number.

At 32, the England number one is hardly a spring chicken, but has continued to prove more than dependable for Everton over the years.

Should he continue at the current rate until the same age as Milner, the record would be broken. The issue is that this relies upon remaining at a high enough level until then.

When his current tally is considered, Pickford would require eight seasons of football to reach the 658 benchmark, and even then, he would have to continue playing every single match as he does at the moment.

With goalkeepers, though, it would not be a surprise to see him continue playing at such an age, though, whether this is in the same role is a different story.

What does Jordan Pickford’s Everton future look like?

When he arrived in 2017, few would have predicted that, almost a decade on, Everton would still be waiting for a return to European competition.

Yet in 2026, that is the harsh reality, with many members of the current squad having never come close to testing themselves on the biggest stage.

Instead, plenty have found themselves dragged into relegation battles, and a fair few would struggle to get near the standard of the sides that regularly challenged for Europe under Roberto Martinez and Ronald Koeman.

As a result, Pickford has ended up going under the radar somewhat in comparison to others across the Premier League, with his England future consistently coming into question despite his reliability.

Throughout this barren spell, Pickford has remained a consistent and dependable presence for both club and country.

You could argue that, because of the team’s struggles, he has not always received the recognition he deserves.

And while 32 is hardly old for a goalkeeper, he is no longer a youngster and may still harbour ambitions of joining a club competing for major honours, whether in England or abroad.

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