Ashley Young returns to Old Trafford having made an immediate impact on the Aston Villa dressing room (2024)

The late Gerard Houllier would melt into a soothing state of tranquility whenever the name Ashley Young was mentioned.

“Ohhh Ashley,” he used to say in his final years, smiling. “I really liked that boy. You could always rely on him.”

Houllier didn’t always afford such love and affection to the players he managed — and certainly not at Aston Villa, where the Frenchman wanted a pure dedication to the cause and a local postcode stamped onto the driving licence of his senior players.

Young had a special place in his heart, though. As one of the top attackers in the Premier League back in 2010-11, Houllier used to turn a blind eye to his occasional commuting from Hertfordshire and cheeky-chappy training ground ways.

Before his passing, Houllier spoke glowingly of the winger, signed by Martin O’Neill in 2007, and revealed how he was powerless to stop Young joining Manchester United at the end of his one season in charge, before adding: “If there was one player who deserved such a move, it was Ashley. He was that good.”

So good, in fact, that he went on to win every domestic trophy plus the Europa League at United. Other coaches have since continued to sing his praises, from Sir Alex Ferguson to Antonio Conte and now Dean Smith.

No doubt he will receive a warm welcome when he returns to Old Trafford this weekend for the first time since leaving for Inter Milan in January 2020, too.

Should Young feature, he would become the second-oldest player on the pitch, behind only United’s great No 7 who will again be backed by chants of “Viva Ronaldo”.

“Long live Ashley Young” might not have the same ring to it, but seeing both veterans in action will be a timely reminder of what can be achieved by dedicating everything to your craft.

Young won’t provide Villa with the goal threat that Ronaldo offers United this season, but his presence will certainly help.

He’s no longer the nippy winger who twists and turns defenders before putting the ball on a plate for a team-mate, either. The graph below shows how the number of chances he creates per game has dropped over the years, as he’s moved from attack to defence.

At the peak of his creative powers — between 2010 and 2013 — he was averaging 2.4 chances created per game, before it dropped much lower in his latter United years.

Another graph below also shows how he’s not crossing the ball as often as he used to. There were seasons where he was averaging between six and seven crosses per game from attacking areas for Villa and United, but inevitably the numbers dropped when he became a full-back.

This was all known to Villa when they signed him, though. A detailed data package was put together to show how he was still holding his own at elite level, and Smith has been pleased with what he’s seen so far. His performances in training have even led to the head coach nicknaming him “Young Ashley” due to his ability to keep up with his fresher-faced peers during running exercises.

In Wednesday night’s League Cup defeat by Chelsea he was a little out of sorts, first struggling to deal with the threat of Callum Hudson-Odoi, and then missing a penalty during the shootout. But he’s made of stern stuff. The ups and downs he’s endured over his career mean he rarely gets too high after wins, and doesn’t get down in defeat.

Martin Laursen finds it amusing that he “still looks the same” but is 10 years older, and crucially much wiser, than when he left Villa Park.

“He’s got Villa in his heart and he’ll want to make a difference,” Laursen adds.

That he’s now recognised as a utility player rather than an old-fashioned winger, attacking midfielder or full-back, is another reason why he was signed by head coach Smith.

In the three Premier League games Young has started, he’s taken up three different positions; left midfield against Watford, left-back against Newcastle United and central midfield against Brentford, but it’s his transformation into a vocal leader that really appealed.

Villa had the youngest squad in the Premier League last season so when Neil Taylor, Ahmed Elmohamady and Tom Heaton were let go, the need for a senior figure or two — Danny Ings was signed as another player to set high standards — was essential.

“Ashley has made an immediate impact in the dressing room and he’s always giving the lads little tips and words of advice during games and training,” a source says.

For some of the longer-serving people connected to the club, it’s warming to see him back, still in good spirits, albeit different to before.

The experience at United changed him. Before moving to Manchester he had never been surrounded by winners.

At Villa he was “a fantastic player who could single-handedly win us so many points,” says former team-mate Curtis Davies. “Martin O’Neill didn’t mind too much about his joking around because he would always turn up for him on a Saturday.”

Young formed a tight relationship with Gabby Agbonlahor both on and off the pitch.

“Him and Gabby were just two young boys, always joking,” Laursen says. “Now he’s different, the picture has completely changed. He wasn’t a leader before but he certainly is now.”

Working under Ferguson and then every United manager since gave him a unique insight into what is expected to play for the best.

Conte also loved him at Inter Milan, where he made it to the Europa League final in his first season and then won Serie A in his second.

“To play for Conte who demands so much from his wing-backs at the age of 34 and 35 was testament to how fit Ashley is,” an insider with knowledge says.

Young rejected a contract offer at United to join Inter as he wanted to play more often and also show that despite his age he could still play a key part. He also moved to Villa for the same reason — to show that he’s got plenty in the tank and can still make valuable contributions both on and off the field.

Already it’s evident on a match day. When his team-mates were celebrating the second goal in front of the Holte End during the 2-0 win over Newcastle, it was Young who set up a huddle to remind the troops how to see out the game.

He can spot and recommend tactical changes for the coaching team who encourage input from senior players, and when he’s not starting, take a look at how intense his warm-down sessions are.

Eric Steele, who was on United’s coaching staff when Young was signed for £17 million from Villa in June 2011, told The Athletic last year: “He was in the bracket of the great pros from my time. He recovers the right way and is a gym animal. You wouldn’t be pushing him. He would go in there of his own volition.”

Although there’s a serious side to his personality now, Young remains sociable and good company. During the warm-up at Watford, he joined in with the Villa supporters signing “Super John McGinn”. Bodymoor Heath is also a louder and livelier place with him around.

Having played in so many positions over throughout his career, it will be interesting to see what in-game qualities he can bring to Villa aside from his leadership and experience this season.

He was a No 10 with Watford, went to the wing at Villa, and dropped back into defence for United. There’s a chance we’ll see him used in both of the former positions at stages, even though he’s already had a taste of playing centrally, too.

Houllier, meanwhile, would have liked that Young made the decision to return to Villa all these years after leaving. He was easily wound up when players “who thought they knew it all” turned to pundits rather than squeezing the most out of their career. Young, as he always said, though, was different. He was always willing, always on time, and always wanting to fight for more.

(Top photo: James Williamson — AMA/Getty Images)