Graham Alexander: welcome to the 1,000 club

Some of the Premier League's records belong to the greats. The most goals (260) were scored by Alan Shearer, the most titles (11) secured by Ryan Giggs.

Others can appear curiosities. The division's oldest debutant, for instance, made his bow at 37 years and 309 days when Burnley visited Stoke City in August 2009.

If that appeared Graham Alexander's footnote in history, he has a more momentous achievement to his name. On April 16, when Burnley hosted Swansea in the English Championship, he was introduced as an 87th-minute substitute.

A brief appearance was the 1,000th of his senior career. To indicate the rarity of it, in the history of English football, only one other outfield player, Tony Ford, has reached that landmark.

By coincidence, he is a former Scunthorpe United teammate of Alexander's. They are in an elite group, including Peter Shilton, Ray Clemence and Pat Jennings, all goalkeepers, and a select few others around the world, such as the AC Milan legend Paolo Maldini: the 1,000 club.

"One thousand games is an incredible achievement and he deserves all the recognition he will get for reaching that landmark," said David Moyes.

The Everton manager has earned a deserved reputation as a bargain hunter in his time at Goodison Park. There is a case for arguing, though, that Alexander, whom he purchased for Preston North End for just £50,000 (Dh302,500) in 1999 was his best buy.

That, though, is by the by in a story of remarkable consistency. Alexander made his debut as a 17-year-old at Scunthorpe in 1988, but did not become a regular until the 1991/92 season. Since then, the games have come like clockwork: an average of 50 per year for 20 successive seasons for Scunthorpe, Luton Town, Preston and now Burnley. It is no coincidence, according to those who know him.

"In my 53 years in the senior game of football, I can say with complete candour that never have I come across as dedicated a player as Graham Alexander," said the former Scotland coach Craig Brown, who managed Alexander at Preston. "Every training session was like a cup final. No player applied himself more diligently."

Owen Coyle concurred. "I have been very fortunate to come across a lot of terrific professionals, but Graham is up there with the very best," said the Bolton manager, previously in charge of Burnley.

"We felt very fortunate to have not only a great player, but a great inspiration, role model and natural leader."

Clarke Carlisle, his teammate and the chairman of the PFA (Professional Footballers Association), said: "He is the most loved and respected member of our squad and far and away the greatest and most influential person I have met in my career."

It is only at an age when his contemporaries have retired that the accolades have come Alexander's way. At 36, he was deemed surplus to requirements at Preston and bought by Burnley.

"Steve Cotterill [the then manager] gave me a two-year contract and I remember he changed my position within about 30 seconds," Alexander said.

A right-back for much of his career, he was reinvented as a holding midfielder, using his reading of the game and passing skills to control matches.

It was an extraordinarily successful switch. In 2008/09, Burnley were promoted after a marathon, 61-game season; Alexander, the oldest man in the squad, was an ever-present.

Having taken the long route to the Premier League, he scored six spot kicks in the season to cement a reputation as the premier penalty taker in the country.

He has converted 77 out of 83, while a recent record of 39 successes from his last 40 attempts is extraordinary. It is a reason, too, why he has 128 goals to his name, a total many strikers cannot rival.

The current appreciation may embarrass him, but recognition took time for the unassuming Alexander: a stalwart of the lower leagues he did not appear in the top flight until he was almost 38; the first of his 40 Scotland caps came at the age of 31.

Brown admitted he was wrong not to call up Alexander, but his successors benefited from the services of the Coventry-born defender. Scotland's two greatest results of modern years were the twin 1-0 wins over France in Euro 2008 qualifying, with Alexander a member of a back four that kept a clean sheet in both matches.

If a man who turns 40 in October logically does not have long left - he is six years older than his current manager, Eddie Howe, and has not started a game since the latter's appointment - Alexander is taking his coaching badges.

And while it might be assumed age will force him into retirement, it might not: in a recent bleep test (a multi-stage endurance test) of the Burnley squad, the 39-year-old outlasted most of his teammates.

It has been the story of his career.

sports@thenational.ae