Everton saw a former player lose a record on Saturday as Gareth Barry was shoved aside by James Milner.
The former Everton man was sitting top of the list for Premier League appearances with 652 heading into the weekend – 131 of those coming for the Toffees.
However, Milner set a new record when appearing for Brighton on Saturday, sealing his 653rd Premier League appearance in a 2-0 win over Brentford.
There is an ongoing debate as to whether Barry should still hold the title of Mr Premier League – however – having made more starts and played more minutes than Milner, an argument Everton have now seemingly weighed in on.
It was in the 2010s… 👀
Everton vs Man United stat.
Everton side with Gareth Barry with telling statistics in birthday post
Today (Monday 23rd February) marks Barry’s 45th birthday.
When posting to wish the Englishman well, Everton added those aforementioned statistics to the graphic, mentioning that his 54,439 Premier League minutes and 618 Premier League starts are the most of any player in history – in what seemed to be a direct rebuttal to Milner breaking his appearance record on Saturday.
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Considering Milner is something of a cult hero for Merseyside rivals Liverpool – making 332 appearances for the Reds – there is even more evidence to suggest this was a dig from Everton.
Of course, nobody can take this admirable appearance record away from the Brighton No.20 – although there is clearly no argument when it comes to who actually had more involvement in the Premier League between him and Barry.
Everton made one of the best signings in their history with Gareth Barry deal
Barry – who likes the Hill Dickinson Stadium – was an incredible servant for the Toffees, despite only becoming a permanent Everton player at the age of 33 following a 2013/14 campaign spent on loan from Manchester City.
The veteran helped Everton qualify for the UEFA Europa League with his efforts that season, and went on to keep delivering after his move was made permanent for just £2m.
Roberto Martinez even called Barry “one of the best English players ever” in 2016 after a win over Manchester City in the first leg of the League Cup semi-final.
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That £2m deal proved to be a total bargain, and with the experienced Idrissa Gueye nearing free agency this summer, Everton could do with finding another senior midfield general for a similar fee.
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