ASHLEY YOUNG

His Career At United

by Alex Dudley

Ashley Young was very much a love/hate kind of figure during his career at Manchester United. Many fans who were at a younger age would have used him as a scapegoat at he was deployed as a left or right wing-back in his final years at the club, but in his prime, he was much better than that and even filled a void that United desperately needed filling.

Young signed from Aston Villa in the summer of 2011 for a reported sum of £17 million. He joined United as an energetic winger who had helped Villa reach consecutive sixth-place finishes under Martin O’Neill. Sir Alex Ferguson had brought in Young hoping that he could fill the void left by Cristiano Ronaldo, and while he wasn’t able to do that, he did fulfil a lot during his time at Old Trafford.

Young’s Success At United Young enjoyed a stellar nine years at United, which was littered with trophies. He enjoyed the final couple of seasons under the tenure of Ferguson, which saw him collect the Premier League title. His goals during that period became his trademark, as he was renowned for curling efforts into the top corners of the opposition’s net. He scored two of those efforts in the famous 8-2 success against Arsenal. He made that left-wing his own during his early days at United and was instrumental in his first season at the club.

His longevity was mainly down to the fact that he never picked up a long-term injury during his career. The only serious injury that he picked up for United came in that first season, but he returned back stronger and scored on his return against Basel in the Champions League. Young was unfortunate not to have won the league in his first season with the club, as United narrowly missed out on the title on the final day of the season. However, that was vindicated in the following season following the arrival of Robin van Persie. Young was again a vital player in that team and played in 19 games. Post‑Ferguson Young became a more important player for United in the years after Ferguson left United. Louis van Gaal made Young an essential player in his tenure at the club, as he deployed him as a left-wing back. He quickly took to the new role and made it his own, but his versatility was a trait that many managers took advantage of. His ability to seamlessly play at left-back, right-back or on the wings made him a hit with Jose Mourinho and later Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

He made 30 appearances in the first season under van Gaal and was an instrumental player in the club’s success in the FA Cup. When Mourinho arrived in that summer, many believed that he would be one of the players that would be shipped off at the first opportunity, but Mourinho defied those odds and gave him another chance at United and he became an essential player in the new-look team. He became a crucial member of the Mourinho regime at United as he was played in both full-back positions during that time.

His most successful season for United came in that first season under Mourinho as he won the League Cup and Europa League. However, he only played in the Europa League Final in that season, as he missed out on the League Cup Final through injury. He made the left-back position his own throughout the Mourinho seasons in charge, as Luke Shaw struggled to find the form to compete. Despite becoming the constant point of blame for United fans during that period, he was putting in consistent performances in that position and that made him virtually undroppable at that period.

Young’s United Legacy Many United fans felt that Young should have left the club long before he actually did, but what he gave to the club was unquestionable. Fans demand that players who play for the club understand what playing for Manchester United is about, and Young did. He loved the club, and despite the fact he was the immediate source of blame, he never put a foot wrong. He gave 100% every time he stepped on the field for United and that should be applauded. Players that have joined post-Ferguson have done a lot less and gotten away with it, which makes the fact that Young gave everything to the club and got slated staggering.

Ultimately, his desire was there, but he was always a player that was shoehorned in to make sure that a void was filled. He was never really a left-back or a right-back, and he saved the club spending money because he could play in that position. The arrival of Aaron Wan-Bissaka was the final straw, while Luke Shaw’s return to full fitness and the emergence of Brandon Williams made him third preference in the left-back position. Nobody could doubt his desire for the club and he understood exactly what it meant to play for the greatest team in the world.

However, Young wanted to play football in the final years of his career, and nobody could dispute that. When the offer came in from Inter Milan, the only thing that United could do was to accept. That was what they owed the player. If he wasn’t a regular member of the team going forward, then he should have the chance to excel somewhere else and that is precisely what he will do at Inter.

Some may still blame Young for the poor results on the field, but he was always a player that gave everything. Young was an exemplary servant to the club, and fans should show gratitude to the way he respected the club throughout his tenure. He may not be a legend of United, but he is certainly a role model that players coming to the club should aspire to be like. There is no doubt he will be excellent in Italy and we can all hope that our paths will cross again in the future.