Ashley Young facts for kids
Young training with England at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 9 July 1985 | ||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Stevenage, England | ||||||||||||
| Height | 5 feet 9 inches (1.75 m) | ||||||||||||
| Playing position | Full-back | ||||||||||||
| Club information | |||||||||||||
| Current club | Everton | ||||||||||||
| Number | 18 | ||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||
| 1995–2003 | Watford | ||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | ||||||||||
| 2003–2007 | Watford | 98 | (19) | ||||||||||
| 2007–2011 | Aston Villa | 157 | (30) | ||||||||||
| 2011–2020 | Manchester United | 192 | (15) | ||||||||||
| 2020–2021 | Inter Milan | 44 | (5) | ||||||||||
| 2021–2023 | Aston Villa | 53 | (1) | ||||||||||
| 2023– | Everton | 49 | (1) | ||||||||||
| National team | |||||||||||||
| 2006–2007 | England U21 | 10 | (0) | ||||||||||
| 2007–2018 | England | 39 | (7) | ||||||||||
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Honours
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Ashley Simon Young (born 9 July 1985) is an English professional footballer. He plays as a full-back for Everton.
Young started his career as a winger at Watford in 2003. He helped Watford get promoted to the Premier League in 2006. In 2007, he moved to Aston Villa. There, he won the PFA Young Player of the Year award in 2009.
In 2011, Young joined Manchester United. He won five trophies with them. These included the Premier League in 2013 and the FA Cup in 2016. He also won the Europa League in 2017. He became club captain in 2019.
In 2020, Young moved to Inter Milan in Italy. He won the Serie A title with them. This made him one of only three English players to win Italy's top league. He returned to Aston Villa in 2021. In 2023, he signed with Everton.
Young played for England 39 times. He scored seven goals for his country. He played in UEFA Euro 2012 and the 2018 FIFA World Cup. England reached the semi-finals of the World Cup in 2018.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting at Watford
Ashley Young joined the Watford youth team when he was 10. At first, the club told him he might not get a full scholarship. But Young worked hard and proved himself. He started training with the Under-18s when he was only 16.
He made his first team debut in September 2003. He scored a goal as a substitute against Millwall. In the 2004–05 season, he played in 34 league matches. He won the club's Young Player of the Season award.
In the 2005–06 season, Young became a key player. He played as a striker and right winger. He scored 15 goals in 41 league matches. He helped Watford get promoted to the Premier League. This included a goal in the play-off semi-final.
Young started the 2006–07 Premier League season well. He scored three goals in the league. In January 2007, several clubs wanted to sign him. Watford turned down offers of up to £7 million. They accepted a £10 million offer from West Ham United. However, Young decided not to join them.
Moving to Aston Villa
On 23 January 2007, Young signed with Aston Villa. The fee was £8 million, which was a record for the club at the time. He scored on his first game for Villa against Newcastle United.
In the 2007–08 season, Young played very well. He had 17 assists, which means he helped set up 17 goals. He was chosen for the Premier League Team of the Year. This team features the best players in the league.
On 20 April 2008, Young scored two goals and assisted two others. This helped Aston Villa win 5–1 against Birmingham City. He won the Premier League Player of the Month award in October 2008. He won it again in December 2008. This made him the first player to win three Player of the Month awards in one year.
On 26 April 2009, he won the PFA Young Player of the Year award. This award is given to the best young player in English football.
In the 2010–11 season, Young became the vice-captain of Aston Villa. He played in a new role behind the main striker. This allowed him to move around the field more freely. He scored nine goals and had 14 assists that season. At the end of the season, he decided to leave Aston Villa.
Joining Manchester United
On 23 June 2011, Ashley Young joined Manchester United. The transfer fee was about £17 million. He signed a five-year contract. He was given the number 18 shirt.
He made his debut for United in a 3–2 win against Manchester City. He made an assist in that game. On 28 August, he scored his first two goals for United. This was in an 8–2 victory against Arsenal. He scored his first UEFA Champions League goal on 27 September 2011. This helped United draw 3–3 against Basel.
In the 2014–15 season, Young played as a wing-back. This was a new position for him. He scored his first goal of the season on 4 March 2015. This was in a 1–0 win over Newcastle United. On 12 April, he scored and assisted two goals in a 4–2 win against Manchester City. He was named Man of the Match.
On 7 August 2015, Young signed a new contract with Manchester United. He helped United win the FA Cup in 2016. He played as a striker and left-back in the final. This was his third major trophy with the club.
In the 2016–17 season, Young's playing time was limited at first. He started playing more regularly in March and April. He helped Manchester United win the EFL Cup in February 2017. He also helped them win the Europa League. He captained Manchester United for the first time on 16 April 2017. This was in a 2–0 win against Chelsea.
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In the 2017–18 season, Young often played as a full-back. On 28 November, he scored two goals against his old club Watford. One of these was a fantastic 30-yard free-kick.
In February 2019, Young signed a new contract until 2020. He was made Manchester United's club captain in August 2019. He scored his last goal for Manchester United on 12 December 2019. This was in a 4–0 win against AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League.
Playing in Italy with Inter Milan
On 17 January 2020, Young moved to Italian club Inter Milan. He took the number 15 shirt. The transfer fee was about €1.5 million. He was one of three former Premier League players to join Inter Milan that month.
In his first game for Inter, Young provided an assist. He scored his first goal for the club on 16 February. Inter Milan won the 2020–21 Serie A title. This was a big achievement for Young. He became only the third Englishman to win Italy's top league.
Returning to Aston Villa
On 17 June 2021, Young signed a one-year contract with Aston Villa. He returned to the club on a free transfer. He wore the number 18 shirt, which he had at Manchester United. He made his second debut for Villa on 14 August. This was in a 3–2 loss against his former club Watford.
On 10 June 2022, Young left Villa. But he re-signed for another season on 4 July. On 27 July, he was named club captain again. On 10 October, he scored a goal from 25 yards against Nottingham Forest. This was his first goal in his second time at Aston Villa since 2011.
On 31 May 2023, Aston Villa announced that Young's contract would not be extended.
Joining Everton
On 13 July 2023, Everton signed Young as a free agent. He signed a one-year contract. He continued to wear his number 18 shirt. He made his official debut on 12 August 2023. This was in a 1–0 loss against Fulham.
On 17 May 2024, Everton offered Young a new one-year contract. On 4 December 2024, Young became Everton's oldest goal-scorer. He scored a 20-yard free-kick at 39 years and five months old. This was in a 4–0 win against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
International Career
Playing for England's Youth Teams
Young's good form for Watford led to him being called up for the England Under-21 squad in February 2006. He played in a match against an Italian team. In September 2006, he was called up again for the England Under-21 team. He played in the last 15 minutes of a match against Switzerland. England won 3–2.
At the 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, Young played three times. He took part in a penalty shoot-out against the Netherlands. He scored twice in the shoot-out, but England lost. He played 10 games for the Under-21 team between 2006 and 2007.
Playing for the Senior England Team
On 31 August 2007, Young was called up to the main England squad. This was for Euro 2008 qualifiers. He made his international debut on 16 November 2007. He came on as a substitute in a friendly match against Austria.
On 12 October 2010, Young made his first start for England. This was in a Euro 2012 qualifying match. He scored his first international goal on 9 February 2011. This was the winning goal in a friendly against Denmark. He scored again against Switzerland on 4 June 2011. On 6 September 2011, Young scored the only goal in a 1–0 win against Wales. He helped England qualify for UEFA Euro 2012.
Young played in all four of England's matches at Euro 2012. England lost to Italy in the quarter-finals on penalties. Young missed his penalty kick.
After not being called up for almost four years, Young returned to the national team in November 2017. He was chosen for England's 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. He was England's main left-back in Russia. He played in the first two group matches.
In the round of 16, England played Colombia. Young played in this match, which went to extra time. England won on penalties. Young also played the full 90 minutes in the quarter-final against Sweden. England won 2–0, and Young assisted the first goal. In the semi-final against Croatia, Young started the match. England lost 2–1 after extra time.
How Ashley Young Plays
Ashley Young has played in many different positions. For most of his career, he was a winger. This means he played on the sides of the field. He also played as a forward sometimes. At Aston Villa, he played in a free role behind the main striker.
Later in his career, especially at Manchester United, Young became a defender. He played as a left-sided full-back or wing-back. People praised him for how well he changed his playing style. He became a strong and smart defender. He could still help with attacks by sending the ball into the box.
Sometimes, people said Young would fall too easily to try and win a penalty or free-kick. His managers even talked to him about it.
Ashley Young's Life Outside Football
Ashley Young was born in Stevenage, England. He has an older brother and two younger brothers who also play football. His younger brother, Lewis, played for Watford. His other brother, Kyle, trained at the Arsenal Academy.
Young went to The John Henry Newman School in Stevenage. He played school football with Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton. Young's father, who is from Jamaica, supports Tottenham Hotspur. Ashley Young himself liked Arsenal, just like his older brother. His football hero was Ian Wright.
Young married Nicky Pike in June 2015. They had planned to get married in 2011 but postponed it. His son, Tyler Young, is also a professional footballer.
Honours
Watford
- Football League Championship play-offs: 2006
Manchester United
- Premier League: 2012–13
- FA Cup: 2015–16
- EFL Cup: 2016–17
- FA Community Shield: 2011
- UEFA Europa League: 2016–17
Inter Milan
- Serie A: 2020–21
Individual Awards
- Watford Young Player of the Season: 2004–05
- PFA Team of the Year: 2005–06 (Championship), 2007–08 (Premier League), 2008–09 (Premier League)
- PFA Young Player of the Year: 2008–09
- Premier League Player of the Month: April 2008, September 2008, December 2008
Images for kids
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Young (right) playing for Aston Villa in 2008
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Young training with Aston Villa in 2009
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Young training with Manchester United in 2011
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Young playing for Manchester United in 2015
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Young (left) playing for Manchester United in 2017
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Young (right), with teammate Romelu Lukaku, playing for Manchester United in 2017
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Young lining up for England at UEFA Euro 2012
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Young for England during the 2018 FIFA World Cup
See also
In Spanish: Ashley Young para niños
