Ashley Young looks to retire at the end of the season – but he could go back on his word
Ashley Young’s football career has come full circle in a way.
He started his career in the Championship with boyhood club Watford before stepping up to the Premier League with Aston Villa. Great success at Manchester United followed, where he won the top-flight title, the FA Cup, the Carabao Cup and the Europa League.
A stint at Inter Milan, where they lifted the Serie A trophy, preceded another spell at Villa Park and a couple of years at Everton. Now, he finds himself back in the Championship with Ipswich Town – a totally different football schedule – as a 40-year-old.
“When you get to my age, you start to get used to playing game after game after game,” he said.
“Whether that be in the Premier League or playing in Europe, I’ve been through it all. I started in the Championship, so I know what midweek games, weekend games, midweek games are like.
“I’m not sure whether I’ve come across a week where we’ve been on the road so much [after away games at Hull City, Oxford United and Blackburn Rovers]. It happens.
“You have to know which way to recover. Sports science now is key to that. I think we’ve recovered really well from the games we’ve had.
Young [left] had a glittering nine-year spell at Manchester United (Image: PA)
“In terms of adjusting to it, I wouldn’t say I’ve had to adjust to it because I’ve been around for long enough to know how games come thick and fast, how to prepare yourself for the next game that’s coming up.
“I think we’ve prepared in the right way. I’ve settled into things straight away. I’ve been welcomed into it with open arms at Ipswich and I’m loving everything that’s happening.”
It probably doesn’t help that Young’s minutes have been limited. He finds himself behind Darnell Furlong in the pecking order, having played 354 minutes from three starts and six cameos.
After the defeat to Oxford, he admitted that he wanted to get back to featuring week in, week out, but speaking in his press conference ahead of the 3-0 win against Coventry City, he argued that everyone in the squad has the same mindset.
“I think the feeling for everyone in the squad is that they want to play,” he argued.
“I’ve always said, a manager has the toughest job ever to keep the whole squad happy. I don’t think you’ll have a player who will turn around and say, ‘I don’t want to play’.
“I’ve been a player that’s played in teams, I’ve been a player who hasn’t played. Whenever I’m called upon, I’m always going to be ready.
The full-back is keen to play as many minutes as possible (Image: Ross Halls)
“You always want to play more games throughout the season – I’m one of them – but it’s down to the manager. He’s got the toughest job, he’s got the toughest decisions to make. You’ve got to be ready as a player.
“I think that, whenever I’ve played so far, I’ve shown that I’m always ready. Whatever game it is, I’m always ready.”
Getting off the mark with his first Ipswich goal would surely help his case to nail down the right-back role as his own, but it’s not his priority.
“The most important thing for me is getting three points,” he admitted.
“Of course, it would be lovely to get on the scoresheet. I don’t get on the scoresheet as much as when I was playing further up the pitch because I’ve been brought back, but everyone in the team, in the squad, can chip in with goals.
“It’s one of those things. It would be nice to get on the scoresheet, but getting three points is more important.”
Young made his name as an exciting, creative winger, but now finds himself playing deeper in a defensive role. The switch, for him, is natural.
“If you’ve got a good footballing brain, you’re able to do that,” he claimed. “More so nowadays.
Young has dropped deeper after making his name as a winger (Image: Ross Halls)
“A lot of managers will play different formations, different shapes. You’ve got to be able to play in numerous positions.
“I was able to transition into that. I went into a wing-back, I went into a right-back. I think there’s only one position on the pitch I haven’t played, which is in goal.
“If you see me in training, I could be a goalkeeper. Definitely!
“It’s one of those things. You’ve got to transition, especially in this team. We play with full-backs that like to go high and get on the ball.
“You’ve got to have confidence in yourself to go one-v-one, to play in tight spaces, it’s what we’re about. I’ve got confidence in my ability, wherever the manager wants to pick me, wherever he wants to play me.
“I’ll go out there, give 100% and do everything I can for this club.”
Young is the oldest outfield player in the Football League. He’s old enough to be the father of team-mate Sindre Walle Egeli, who is just over two weeks older than his actual son, Tyler, who plays for Town’s academy.
At that age, playing top-level football can be a challenge, but it’s one that he relishes every single day.
“It’s one of those things where I’ve always said that, until my body starts talking to me and says, ‘nah, that’s it, you need to stop’, I’ll give everything I possibly can,” he revealed.
Young started 19 Premier League games for Everton last season (Image: PA)
“The way you look after yourself is important, especially the last 10, 15 years, I’ve done that more and more.
“Age does start to creep up on you, and at times I wake up and feel my body creaking, but I know that as soon as I’m ready, I’m out there giving 100% day in, day out.
“If I didn’t love football, I wouldn’t still be in it. I got to the summer and spoke to the manager. Towards the end of last season, I was thinking, ‘this could be it, this could be my last’. I started 19 times last season.
“It made me think that maybe there is another season in me. I’ve started 19 games in the Premier League and I don’t feel like I’m slowing down.
“For me, I’ve always said it, age is just a number. I don’t know how much longer I’ll go on for, but as long as I can still do it, I’ll carry on as long as possible.”
When he does hang up his boots, could he work as a coach under manager Kieran McKenna, with an eye to progressing into management down the line? Former England team-mates Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney have done just that, but Young has a blunt response.
“No way,” he stated.
“It’s something I can be open and honest about, it’s just not for me.
The 40-year-old has ruled out a management career (Image: Ross Halls)
“You’re either set on wanting to be a manager or a coach, or you’re not. I looked at it a couple of years ago when I thought that could be me, but it’s just not for me.
“I think that’s why you’ve seen me doing the punditry stuff, which is much better for me. I enjoy that side more so, as well as being able to enjoy family life.
“I know we’ve got a nice lifestyle, but it also comes with sacrifices. Being in football for 23, 24 years, I’ve got kids as well, a family, a wife. Being able to spend more time with them and having the punditry side of things, you get to pick and choose that.
“The managerial side of things, you’re doing hours longer than you are as a player, so those are some of the things putting a downer on it for me. There are other things.
“It’s just not for me.”
Young can’t keep playing forever and there’s a consensus that this season will be his last. Whether he does go through with his plans to retire at the end of the 2025/26 campaign remains to be seen, however.
“I have said it’s definitely my last season – but that could change,” he chuckled. “I think I’ve said it will be my last season for the last five years!
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