Ashley Young facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Ashley Young

Young with Aston Villa team.
Personal information
Full name	Ashley Simon Young
Date of birth	(1985-07-09) 9 July 1985 (age 40)
Place of birth	Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England
Height	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Position(s)	Full-back
Team information
Current team	Free agent
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)
2023–2025	Everton	63	(1)
International career
2006–2007	England U21	10	(0)
2007–2018	England	39	(7)
Medal record  England UEFA European U-21 Championship Bronze 2007 Netherlands
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17:17, 25 May 2025 (UTC)

Ashley Simon Young (born on 9 July 1985) is an English professional footballer. He can play as a winger, midfielder, or full-back. Currently, he is a free agent, meaning he is not signed to a club.

Young began his career as a winger at Watford. He made his first team debut in 2003. He became a regular player in the 2004–05 season. Young was a key player when Watford won promotion in the 2005–06 season. In January 2007, he moved to Aston Villa. The fee was about £8 million. He won the PFA Young Player of the Year award in 2009.

In June 2011, Young joined Manchester United for around £17 million. He won five trophies there. These included the Premier League in 2013 and the FA Cup in 2016. He also won the Europa League in 2017. He became the club captain in 2019. In 2020, Young signed for Inter Milan. He won the Serie A title with them. This made him only the third Englishman to win Italy's top league. He returned to Aston Villa in 2021. He captained them to a 7th-place finish in his second season. He then signed for Everton in 2023.

Young played 39 times for England between 2007 and 2018. He scored seven goals for his country. He was part of the England teams for UEFA Euro 2012 and the 2018 FIFA World Cup. England reached the semi-finals of the World Cup.

Club Career Highlights

Starting at Watford

Young joined the Watford youth academy when he was 10 years old. In 2001, the club told him he would not get a full scholarship. But Young stayed on part-time and worked hard to improve. He trained with the Under-18s even at 16. He later earned a professional contract.

The 18-year-old made his first team debut in September 2003. He scored as a substitute against Millwall. He played five times as a substitute that season, scoring three goals. He also made his first start in the League Cup. In the 2004–05 season, Young played in 34 league matches. Watford struggled in the Championship that year. He won the club's Young Player of the Season award.

Under manager Aidy Boothroyd in 2005–06, Young played as a striker and right winger. He started 41 league matches and scored 15 goals. This included a goal in the play-off semi-final against Crystal Palace. Watford won the play-offs and beat Leeds United 3–0. This earned them promotion to the Premier League. Young scored many amazing goals that season. These included free-kicks and a long-range shot. He was sent off for the first time in his career against Luton Town.

Young started the 2006–07 Premier League season well. He scored three league goals. This included two goals in a 3–3 draw with Fulham. In January 2007, Watford rejected several offers for Young. They turned down a £7 million offer. An offer of almost £10 million from West Ham United was accepted. However, Young chose not to join them.

Moving to Aston Villa

Young (right) playing for Aston Villa in 2008.

On 23 January 2007, Aston Villa signed Young for £8 million. This fee could rise to £9.65 million. It was the highest fee Aston Villa had ever paid for a player at that time. On 31 January 2007, he scored on his debut for Villa against Newcastle United. Villa lost the match 3–1. Young started the 2007–08 season well. He won several Man of the Match awards. This led to him being called up to the England squad.

In the 2007–08 Premier League season, Young had 17 assists. He was second only to Cesc Fàbregas. Young was also named in the Premier League Team of the Year. He was one of only two players not from the 'Big Four' clubs to make the team.

On 20 April 2008, Young scored two goals and assisted two others for Aston Villa. This was in a 5–1 win against Birmingham City. He also scored the winning goal against Odense Boldklub in the UEFA Intertoto Cup. On 10 October 2008, Young won the Premier League Player of the Month award. He won it again in April 2008. This put him on a list with players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney. On 7 December 2008, Young scored two goals in a 3–2 win over Everton. He signed a new four-year contract until 2012 on 4 November 2008.

On 10 January 2009, Young won his third Premier League Player of the Month award for December. He was the first player ever to win three such awards in the same year. On 26 April 2009, he won the PFA Young Player of the Year award.

Later Years at Villa

Young training with Aston Villa in 2009.

On 24 August 2009, Young scored a penalty as Aston Villa beat Liverpool 3–1. He became the vice-captain of the club during the 2010–11 season. He played in a new free role behind the striker. This allowed him to move across the field. Young scored his first goal of the 2010–11 season from a free-kick against Bolton Wanderers. He finished the season with nine goals and fourteen assists. With one year left on his contract, Young decided to leave Villa.

Joining Manchester United

Young training with Manchester United in 2011.

On 23 June 2011, Young moved to Manchester United. The fee was reportedly around £17 million. He signed a five-year deal and was given the number 18 shirt. He made his debut for United in a 3–2 win over Manchester City in the 2011 FA Community Shield. He played the whole match and made an assist.

He made his league debut against West Bromwich Albion on 14 August 2011. He set up the first goal for Wayne Rooney. He scored his first two goals for United on 28 August in an 8–2 victory against Arsenal. Both goals were amazing shots from outside the box. Young made his UEFA Champions League debut on 27 September 2011. He scored a header in the 90th minute to help United draw 3–3 with Basel. After an injury, Young returned on 5 February 2012. He scored two goals and made an assist against Tottenham Hotspur in a 3–1 win on 4 March 2012.

Playing as a Defender

Young playing for Manchester United in 2015.

Under manager Louis van Gaal, Young started playing as a wing-back in August 2014. This was a new position for him. He scored his first goal of the 2014–15 season in a 1–0 win over Newcastle United on 4 March. On 12 April, he was named Man of the Match. He scored a goal and provided two assists in a 4–2 win over Manchester City. He played a big part in United's 2–1 win over Crystal Palace on 9 May. He won a penalty and assisted a goal. Young played both on the wing and at wing-back that season.

On 7 August 2015, Young signed a new three-year contract with Manchester United. He made only one start in the first seven league games of the 2015–16 season. On 12 September, Young assisted Anthony Martial for his first goal for United in a 3–1 win against rivals Liverpool. He often played at right-back in late 2015 and early 2016 due to injuries to other players.

On 2 January 2016, Young assisted Anthony Martial again in a 2–1 win against Swansea City. Young suffered a serious groin injury on 17 January. He returned on 10 April against Tottenham Hotspur. He played as a striker in that game. Young scored his only goal of the season on 17 May in a 3–1 win against AFC Bournemouth. On 21 May, he won the FA Cup. United beat Crystal Palace 2–1 in the final after extra time. This was his third trophy with the club.

Young (left) playing for Manchester United in 2017.

When José Mourinho became manager, Young played less often at first. His first appearance was on 15 September 2016 in the Europa League. His first start was against Northampton Town in the EFL Cup on 21 September. Young started playing much more regularly in March and April 2017. He was an unused substitute when United won the 2017 EFL Cup Final against Southampton. Young made his first assist of the season on 19 March against Middlesbrough. He crossed the ball for Marouane Fellaini to score. On 16 April, Young captained Manchester United for the first time in a 2–0 win against Chelsea. His season ended early due to an injury in the Europa League semi-final on 4 May.

Captaincy and Departure

Young (right), with teammate Romelu Lukaku, playing for Manchester United in 2017.

Young's first start of the 2017–18 season was at right-back on 12 September 2017. This was in a 3–0 win against Basel in the Champions League. He assisted the opening goal and was captain for the match. On 28 November, Young scored two goals against his former club Watford. One was a fantastic 30-yard free-kick.

In February 2019, Young signed a new contract with Manchester United until 2020. He was named United's club captain in August 2019. Young scored his final goal for Manchester United on 12 December 2019. This was in a 4–0 victory against AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League.

Time at Inter Milan

Young signed for Italian club Inter Milan on 17 January 2020. He took the number 15 shirt. His contract included an option for another season. The transfer fee was about €1.5 million. He was one of three former Premier League players to join Inter Milan that window. In his first game, Young assisted Lautaro Martínez in a 1–1 draw. He scored his first goal for Inter in a 2–1 loss against Lazio on 16 February.

Inter won the 2020–21 Serie A title. Young became only the third Englishman to win the Italian league. The others were Jimmy Greaves in 1962 and Gerry Hitchens in 1963.

Returning to Aston Villa

On 17 June 2021, Young signed a one-year contract to return to Aston Villa. He joined on a free transfer after his Inter contract ended. He was given the number 18 shirt, which he wore at Manchester United. Young made his second debut for Villa on 14 August 2021. It was a 3–2 defeat at his former club Watford.

On 10 June 2022, Villa released Young. He became a free agent on 1 July. However, on 4 July, the club confirmed he had re-signed for another season until 2023. On 27 July, Young was named club captain for the upcoming season. On 10 October, he scored from 25 yards against Nottingham Forest. This was his first goal in his second spell at Villa since 2011.

On 31 May 2023, Villa announced that Young's contract would not be renewed. He left the club on 30 June.

Playing for Everton

On 13 July 2023, Everton announced they had signed Young as a free agent. He signed a one-year contract with an option for another year. He continued to wear his number 18 shirt. On 12 August 2023, he made his official debut. He played the full match 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 goalscorer. He scored a 20-yard free-kick in a 4–0 win against Wolverhampton Wanderers. He was 39 years and five months old. This goal also made him the fourth-oldest goalscorer in Premier League history. Only Thiago Silva, Dean Windass, and Teddy Sheringham were older. In May 2025, the club announced that Young would leave at the end of the 2024–25 season.

International Career

England Under-21s

Young's good form for Watford in 2005–06 led to him being called up to the England Under-21 League squad. He played in a 1–0 win against an Italian team. His continued good play earned him his first England under-21 call-up in September 2006. He played the last 15 minutes as England won 3–2. At the 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Championship finals, Young played three times. He took part in the semi-final penalty shoot-out against the Netherlands. He scored twice in the shoot-out, but England lost. He earned 10 caps for the under-21s between 2006 and 2007.

Senior England Team

Early Appearances

On 31 August 2007, Steve McClaren called Young up to the full England squad. This was for Euro 2008 qualifiers. On 16 November 2007, Young made his international debut. He came on as a substitute in a friendly against Austria. He also played in friendlies against Germany in 2008 and the Netherlands in 2009. Young was not chosen for Fabio Capello's squad for the 2010 World Cup.

UEFA Euro 2012 Campaign

Young lining up for England at UEFA Euro 2012.

On 12 October 2010, Young made his first start for England. This was in a Euro 2012 qualifying match against Montenegro. He scored his first international goal in a friendly against Denmark on 9 February 2011. This was the winning goal. Young scored again against Switzerland on 4 June 2011. On 6 September 2011, Young scored the only goal in a 1–0 win against Wales. On 7 October 2011, he scored England's first goal against Montenegro. England drew 2–2 to qualify for UEFA Euro 2012. On 29 February 2012, Young scored his fifth international goal. This was in a 3–2 loss to the Netherlands.

On 26 May 2012, Young scored his sixth international goal against Norway. He became the first English player since Wayne Rooney to score in four straight international games. Young played in all four of England's matches at Euro 2012. England lost to Italy on penalties in the quarter-finals. Young was one of two England players to miss his penalty.

2018 World Cup Journey

Young playing for England during the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

After almost four years, Young was called back to the national team by Gareth Southgate in November 2017. He played in a friendly against Brazil.

Young was named in Southgate's 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. He was England's main left-back in Russia. He played all of their first two group matches. England qualified for the knockout stage. Young was rested for the final group game. He returned for the round of 16 match against Colombia. England won 4–3 on penalties. Young played the full 90 minutes in the quarter-final against Sweden. England won 2–0, and Young assisted Harry Maguire's opening goal. In the semi-final against Croatia, Young started again. England lost 2–1 after extra time. Young did not play in the third-place play-off.

Playing Style

Young has played in many different positions. For most of his career, he was a winger. He also played as a forward at Watford and once at Manchester United. For Aston Villa, he played in a free role behind the striker.

In his later years at Manchester United, Young became a defender. He played as a left-sided full-back or wing-back. Experts noted that he became a strong and smart defender. He also continued to be good at attacking with his crosses.

Young has sometimes been accused of diving by the media. This means pretending to be fouled to gain an unfair advantage. His former managers, Sir Alex Ferguson and David Moyes, spoke to him about this.

Personal Life

Young was born in Stevenage, Hertfordshire. He has an older brother and two younger brothers who also play football. His brother Lewis made his debut for Watford in 2008. His other brother, Kyle, trained at the Arsenal Academy. Young went to The John Henry Newman School. He played school football with Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton.

Young's father, who is from Jamaica, supports Tottenham Hotspur. Young himself, like his older brother, supported Arsenal. His hero was Ian Wright. Young married Nicky Pike in June 2015. They had planned to marry in 2011 but called it off. His son Tyler Young is also a professional footballer.

Career Statistics

Club

International

As of match played 11 July 2018. England score listed first, score column indicates score after each Young goal.

List of international goals scored by Ashley Young

No.	Date	Venue	Cap	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition	Ref.
1	9 February 2011	Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark	12	Denmark	2–1	2–1	Friendly
2	4 June 2011	Wembley Stadium, London, England	15	Switzerland	2–2	2–2	UEFA Euro 2012 qualification
3	6 September 2011	Wembley Stadium, London, England	17	Wales	1–0	1–0	UEFA Euro 2012 qualification
4	7 October 2011	Podgorica City Stadium, Podgorica, Montenegro	18	Montenegro	1–0	2–2	UEFA Euro 2012 qualification
5	29 February 2012	Wembley Stadium, London, England	19	Netherlands	2–2	2–3	Friendly
7	22 March 2013	San Marino Stadium, Serravalle, San Marino	28	San Marino	4–0	8–0	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification

Honours and Awards

Watford

• Football League Championship play-offs: 2006

Aston Villa

• Football League Cup runner-up: 2009–10

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
• UEFA Europa League runner-up: 2019–20

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

See also

In Spanish: Ashley Young para niños