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40 year old Ashley Young gives his first interview on signing for Ipswich

40 year old Ashley Young gives his first interview on signing for Ipswich Town, having been released by Everton at the end of last season.

He has made 750 club appearances in a career which began with his debut for Watford in 2003. He’s gone on to play for Aston Villa, Man Utd, Inter Milan and Everton. Young also won 39 caps for England.

Still going strong, he has signed a one-year deal with recently relegated Ipswich, having shown extremely high level of professionalism and competitiveness with Kieran McKenna praising him and his ability to keep playing at a very good level consistently.

CLUB STATEMENT:

Ipswich Town is delighted to announce the signing of Ashley Young.

Ashley joins on a one-year deal having spent the vast majority of his career in the Premier League with the likes of Manchester United, Aston Villa, and Everton.

He has made a total of 750 career club appearances to date, scoring 88 goals, and won the Premier League, FA Cup, and Europa League during his time at Old Trafford. Now a wide midfielder or full-back, Ashley also won a Serie A title during a spell in Italy with Inter Milan.

He made his England debut against Austria in November 2007 and won a total of 39 caps for his country, scoring seven goals.

Ashley has spent the last two seasons with Everton, making 32 Premier League appearances during 2024/25, largely as a right-back. He brings versatility, quality, and experience to the Town squad.

“Ashley has had a fantastic career and his achievements speak for themselves,” Kieran McKenna told the club website.

“He has maintained an extremely high level of professionalism and competitiveness through his career and he is still playing at a very good level. We feel his leadership and experience will be valuable to the group this season and he is very hungry to contribute on and off the pitch.

“It’s a very strong signing for the group and the club.”

Ashley came through the youth system at Watford, making his senior debut in 2003 before going on to help the Hornets win promotion to the Premier League through the Championship Play-Offs at the end of the 2005/06 campaign.

He joined Aston Villa midway through the following season, becoming the club’s record signing and going on to make nearly 200 appearances during his first spell at Villa Park.

From there he moved to Manchester United in 2011, making 261 appearances during a spell which saw him win the Premier League title in 2012/13, the FA Cup in 2015/16 and then both the League Cup and Europa League in 2016/17.

An 18-month spell with Inter Milan then saw him become just the third English player to win a Serie A title, following the Nerazzurri’s success in 2020/21. Ashley returned to England in the summer of 2021, firstly for a second spell with Aston Villa ahead of his move to Goodison Park in 2023.

At international level he has represented England at two major tournaments, firstly at EURO 2012 in Ukraine and Poland, before starting five of England’s six games at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

Interviewer: Ashley, welcome to Ipswich Town Football Club. Why is this the right move for you at this time?

Ashley: I think the manager played a big part of that. Obviously, I worked for him at at United. I knew his his beliefs. I knew what he he wants to do for this club. I’ve seen what he’s done with this this club as well. And, obviously, it was disappointment last season, but, you know, speaking to him, before even joining, I knew that I wanted to come and play under him. I know how passionate he is about football and and what he wants to achieve and and let it to achieve to get back to the Premier League.

Interviewer: A lot of signings speak about the manager, their discussions, you know, being on the same page, that kind of thing. But what was it about your previous relationship as well that also drew you to to Ipswich Town and Kieran McKenna?

Ashley: I think it’s one in the he’s a winner. And you see that on the training pitch. You see that on the sidelines of the of the games. You know, I get to see that day in, day out when I have worked for him previously. So, it was a massive pull. But the club as a whole as well, the fan base of the players, you know, obviously, coming up against an Ipswich side, it’s never easy to play against Ipswich side. And, you know, the excitement of last season, I think that, you know, there’s definitely something to to build on again this season to to get the club back into the Premier League.

Interviewer: How much has the manager changed?

Ashley: He hasn’t. He been the same. You know, you do get, managers that come out of Championship and go to the Premier League that you think that that will change, but, no, he hasn’t. He he stayed the same way. He’s like I say, he’s still got that hunger, that desire for for football. And, like I say, he lives and breathes football. So, you know, the passion that he shows, it it reflects on the players.

Interviewer: Talking about Ipswich Town last season as well, of course, you know a bit. You’ve seen a bit from afar and having gone up against us. What did you make of kind of the club and also that as a bigger project now that we, you know, have this challenge again of getting back to the Premier League?

Ashley: You could see the the club as a whole is a family club. You can see the players, the passion that they they play on with on the pitch. They, emulate what the what the fans wanna see, and and the manager is exactly that way as well. You see his passion. Like I say, it it rubs down. It feels all the way through the club. And just being here today, you get that feeling from everyone that’s around the club. So, you know, the the project is to get back to the Premier League. It’s that simple. You know, we know it’s not gonna be tough. It’s not gonna be easy. It’s gonna be tough, doing it, especially coming back down from the Premier League. But, you know, I think that everyone has has bought into the manager’s ideas and in the ways it’s thought process of wanting to to get the the club back there. And like I say, when you have a taste of the Premier League, you want more and more of that. So, you know, I think everyone’s gonna be, chomping a little bit to get back out there and and get back back in the Premier League.

Interviewer: You have got extensive Premier League, experience, and, of course, you’ll bring that to the dressing room. But equally, you’ve achieved promotion from the championship as well. I mean, what does it take from a group? We know having done it, obviously, two seasons ago, but you’ve been in a dressing room that’s done that.

Ashley: Yeah. Of course. And when I’ve done it, it was a quite a long time ago. So, obviously, the Championship has has changed a lot. It takes everything that the manager will will talk about, you know, togetherness, out on the pitch, you know, away from the pitch, you know, being strong together. Just everything. Everything that we you do, it’s all about working hard. When you’re in day in, day out, it’s about working hard and you get a success from there. So, like, the the club will know how how tough the Championship is, and it’s not easy. It’s not easy to get out of. But when you’re in the right frame of mind and then you got the right focus, then I’m sure it will happen again this season.

Interviewer: You stepped into new dressing rooms throughout your career when you when you’ve made a transfer, of course, any player has to do that. What do you, what’s the challenge in that, and and what do you want to bring to the to this dressing room?

Ashley: I think just the gelling with the squad straight away. That’s that’s the main focus for me. And then to bring my my experience, my my leadership, but it’s not just that. It’s my football and ability. That’s what I’m here for. I’m here to play football and, you know, come here to play football. I think a lot will be talked about my age, but, a lot of football has talked about stats these days. And, you know, I played 32 Premier League games last season. You know, I couldn’t tell you the stats, how many games I played. But, you know, what my focus is on is is getting this club back into the Premier League, and that’s all I’ve got to focus on now.

Interviewer: What do you make of the Championship as a division now and you, of course, stepping into it to that challenge?

Ashley: I think it’s come on. More so when I first started playing Championship, it’s totally different. It’s a lot tougher. Like I said, there’s a lot of teams that will be looking and and thinking they can gain promotion from from this league. As I always say, I know it’s gonna be tough, but, you know, I think that the players, you see the squad, the club as a whole, Everything is is geared up to to be in the Premier League, and and that’s gonna be the main focus from the start.

Interviewer: How well do you know this dressing room?

Ashley: Not too well at all. Obviously, coming up against him last season. But other than that, not too well. So I know a few players. Like I said, speaking to everyone here so far, it’s a club that, and a squad that you can just blend into straight away. Everyone’s welcoming, and I felt that straight away on the first day.

Interviewer: You’d be quite happy stepping up for an initiation song or…

Ashley: Yeah. Of course I would. Yeah. Why not?

Interviewer: Have you got a go to, or do you mix it up?

Ashley: I’ve got a go to, but I’ll keep that a secret until I have to.

Here’s how fans reacted as 40 year old Ashley Young gives his first interview on signing for Ipswich…

@lee187812: Looked fitter than some of our players last season. Was one of the better and more consistent players too, good luck youngy

@avfcbreaking: Well done Ash! Plenty of minutes in them legs still

@Brian82065911: Best of luck for your new club and thank you for Everything you did for my club Everton Never anything less than 110% every game. Up the Toffees.

@MrEverton1878: Good luck Ashley, all the very best to you mate, Ipswich fans you have gotten yourselves a top player, a top pro and a top person. Class. 💙

@CrawfordTartan: Good signing for Ipswich, will help the promotion push. The man is a great experienced professional, and has very high standards. Hopefully his age doesn’t catch up with him next season.

@clivemaskell: I think he is a great addition clearly at his age there is concerns but the experience and wealth of knowledge / support of our younger players out way the negatives. Welcome onboard 💙🤍

@ste1jones: Best of luck Ash , sorry to see you leave us in the summer but yet another new challenge for you to smash 👍

@ijjysmith: I know Town fans will probably be a bit miffed about this but honestly he was really good for us last season. As long as he’s not starting every week as he was his first season with us, he’ll be sound for you.

@CJEccott: Huge respect to this guy – the ultimate professional. Would love to draw Ipswich in the cup this season so he can get a well-deserved applause at Old Trafford. Before they beat us, of course. #MUFC

@OcBen: love seeing youngy carrying on but little disappointed it wasn’t a promoted club snapping him up. would’ve been the oldest prem player ever if he played for someone in may 26. hope they go up and he stays another year 🤞

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