Former Manchester United and England player Ashley Young has declared his retirement following an illustrious 23-year professional career.
The 40-year-old, who gathered 39 England caps, played for clubs including Watford, Aston Villa, Everton, Inter Milan, and most recently, Ipswich, where he made 15 appearances for the Championship promotion contenders this season.
In an Instagram post, Young reflected on his remarkable journey: “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 a journey I only dreamed of as a boy!
“However, with this dream, there must be an ending and Saturday may mark the last game of my professional career – 23 years and OUT!”
England’s official account responded with “congratulations on a fantastic career,” while former Manchester United teammate David De Gea commented “what a career”.
Young earned 39 caps for England (Getty)
Young began his career at Watford as a winger, making his way up through the club’s academy before transferring to Aston Villa in 2007.
After thriving at the Midlands team for four years, Young made a significant move to Manchester United in 2011, where he enjoyed a nine-year stint at Old Trafford.
During his time at United, Young secured several trophies, including the Premier League, FA Cup, Europa League, and League Cup.
His adaptability was evident as he played both as a wing-back and a full-back, paving the way for his transfer to Inter Milan in 2020, where he clinched the Serie A title in his one season with the club before returning to England to rejoin Aston Villa.
After two more years at Villa, he had spells with Everton and Ipswich.
Young represented England at two major tournaments, helping the team reach the Euro 2012 quarter-finals and the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup under Gareth Southgate.