Former Man United And England Defender Ashley Young Announces Retirement From Football

Former England defender Ashley Young announced his retirement from football at the age of 40, bringing an end to a 23-year career in which he played for clubs like Manchester United and Inter Milan.

“I am incredibly proud and fortunate to have achieved everything I have during my career. It’s not too often you sit and think about this while you are still in the game, but I have lived my dream during the last 23 years,” Young wrote on social media.

“It’s now time for some reflection on what I’ve been able to achieve and the next few weeks and months will be when I decide what I am going to do next.”

Young’s Career Highlights

Young won league titles in both England and Italy with Man United and Inter, along with the FA Cup and the UEFA Europa League. Across a well-travelled career, he also featured for Watford, Aston Villa – in two spells – and Everton.

He made his England debut in November 2007, earning 39 caps and scoring seven goals. He was part of England’s squad at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Final Promotion Push

Young is currently on the books of EFL Championship side Ipswich Town, and can secure promotion to the English Premier League with a win over Queens Park Rangers in Saturday’s final round of league matches.

“My full focus is on Saturday and helping this club achieve our goal, which is promotion back to the Premier League,” Young wrote.

However, his season has been hampered by injuries, limiting him to 13 appearances, with 10 of them coming as a substitute. His last outing came on January 20, when he came off the bench in a 2-0 win against Bristol City.