Former Manchester United and England star Ashley Young has announced his retirement, bringing an end to a distinguished 23-year professional football career.
The 40-year-old, who earned 39 caps for England national football team, featured for clubs including Watford, Aston Villa, Everton, Inter Milan, and most recently Ipswich, where he made 15 appearances this season for the Championship promotion contenders.
In a message shared on Instagram, Young reflected on his journey through the game, writing: “From Sefton Road to Vicarage Road to Villa Park to Wembley to Old Trafford to San Siro back to Villa Park to Goodison Park and finally to Portman Road. It’s been some journey that I only dreamt of as a boy. But with this dream there has to be an ending and Saturday might be the last game of my professional career – 23 years and OUT!”
Tributes followed his announcement, with England praising his “fantastic career,” while former teammate David De Gea described it as “what a career.”
Young began his professional journey at Watford before joining Aston Villa in 2007, where his performances earned him a move to Manchester United in 2011. During his nine-year spell at Old Trafford, he won multiple honours, including the Premier League, FA Cup, Europa League, and League Cup.
Known for his versatility, Young transitioned from a winger into a wing-back and full-back, a role that proved valuable during his stint with Inter Milan, where he won the Serie A title in 2020.
He later returned to Aston Villa before spells at Everton and Ipswich, rounding off a career that saw him compete at the highest level across England and Italy.
On the international stage, Young represented England at major tournaments, reaching the quarter-finals of Euro 2012 and the semi-finals of the 2018 FIFA World Cup under coach Gareth Southgate.
Elijah Adeyemi
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