Ashley Young

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Ashley Young

Personal information
Full name	Ashley Simon Young
Date of birth	9 July 1985 (1985-07-09) (age 23)
Place of birth	Stevenage, England
Height	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Playing position	Left winger, Striker
Club information
Current club	Aston Villa
Number	7
Youth career
2000–2002	Watford
Senior career1
Years	Club	Apps (Gls)2
2002–2007	Watford	101 (20)
2007–	Aston Villa	086 (18)
National team3
2006–2007	England U21	010 0(0)
2007–	England	004 0(0)
1 Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 14:54, 25 May 2009 (UTC). 2 Appearances (Goals). 3 National team caps and goals correct as of 21:26, 19 November 2008 (UTC)

Ashley Simon Young (born 9 July 1985 in Stevenage,^[1] Hertfordshire) is an English footballer who currently plays as a winger or second striker for Aston Villa. Young has a younger brother, Lewis who plays for Watford.^[2]

Contents 1 Club career 1.1 Watford 1.2 Aston Villa 2 International career 3 Personal 4 Career statistics 5 Honours 6 References 7 External links

[edit] Club career

[edit] Watford

Despite having been turned away by Watford's Academy after an unsuccessful spell, Young endeavoured to improve himself as a player and was eventually offered a professional deal by the club. The 18-year-old was handed his first team début under Ray Lewington in September 2003, scoring as a substitute against Millwall.^[3] He achieved five substitute appearances that season, scoring three goals, and made his first start for the club in the League Cup. Young came to prominence in the 2004-05 season, playing a part in 34 of Watford's league matches as they struggled to survive in the Championship. Although he failed to find the net, he supplied several assists. His performance during this season earned him the club's Young Player of the Season award.

Under Aidy Boothroyd in the 2005–06 season, Young was given a new lease of life as a striker. Young started 41 League matches, finding the net 15 times,including a playoff semi-final goal against Crystal Palace, as Watford qualified for the playoffs and eventually beat Leeds United 3–0 to gain promotion to the Premier League.

Young began Watford's 2006/2007 Premier League season well, scoring 3 times, including a last minute, long-range strike against Fulham. In the January 2007 transfer window, three clubs made £5 million offers for the Under-21 International. Watford rejected these approaches, as well as (as of 12 January 2007) an offer of £7 million, again from an unnamed club^[4]

An improved offer of nearly £10 million from West Ham United was accepted. However, Young rejected the move, opting to wait for offers from clubs for whom relegation was not an issue.^[5]

[edit] Aston Villa

On 18 January 2007, Aston Villa had an £8 million offer (rising to £9.75 million with add-ons), accepted — the club's record transfer fee. This allowed manager Martin O'Neill and the Aston Villa board to discuss personal terms with the player. Two days later O'Neill confirmed the player had agreed to join the club. Young underwent a medical on 21 January and the signing was confirmed on 23 January 2007.^[6] On 31 January, he went on to score in his debut for Villa at St James' Park against Newcastle United, but Villa went on to lose 3–1.^[7] Ashley Young started the 2007-08 season well, receiving several Man of the Match awards. The good start was highlighted by his callup to the England Squad.

On 20 April 2008, Young scored 2 goals and assisted two goals for Aston Villa against Birmingham City at Villa Park and Villa went on to win the game 5–1. He also scored the winner against Danish side Odense Boldklub in Villa's home leg of the Intertoto Cup 3rd round.

In the 2007–08 Premier League season, Young finished second to Cesc Fàbregas in assists with 17. ^[8] Young was included in the Premier League Team of the Year, and apart from Portsmouth's David James, he was the only other player who did not come from any of the 'Big Four' (Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United) to make it into the best XI of the season. He is known for his pace, set pieces and ability to pass and shoot.He is also well known for cutting back onto his right foot and 'whipping' the ball into the penalty area.

On 10 October 2008 Ashley Young won the Player of the Month award. This was due to his performances in the 2008–2009 Premier League campaign. Having also won the award in April 2008, Young joins the list of players who have won the award more than once including Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard. On 7 December 2008 in the 3-2 win over Everton, Young scored two goals, one being an injury time winner after Everton's Joleon Lescott had equalised seconds earlier putting his tally for the season up to five. Manager O'Neill later described the player as being 'world-class' in the post-match press conference. Ashley Young signed a new four-year contract until 2012 on the 4 November 2008.^[9]. On 10 January 2009 Young was again awarded Player of the Month for December along with manager Martin O'Neill, who won the Manager of the Month award. He became the first ever player to win three FA Premiership Player of the Month awards in the same year. ^[10] During a match against Sunderland on 18 January, 2009, Young was sent off for a two-footed foul on Sunderland's Dean Whitehead.^[11].

[edit] International career

As a result of his form for Watford during the 2005–06 season, in February 2006 Young earned a call-up to Peter Taylor's England U21 League squad to face an Italian Serie B squad alongside team-mate Chris Eagles. Young started alongside Eagles in the 1–0 win, playing the first half. His continued form into the 2006-07 season earned him a first England U21 call-up to face Switzerland U21s in September 2006. Young played the last 15 minutes of the match as England scored a late goal to win 3–2, topping their group, and reaching a playoff for a place in the 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship. At the finals Young played three times. He took part in the epic semi-final shootout against hosts Netherlands, scoring twice in the shootout as England lost 13-12. On 31 August 2007, Steve McClaren called Young up to the full England squad for the first time to face Russia and Israel in the Euro 2008 qualifiers. He was again called up for the Euro 2008 qualifiers to face Estonia and Russia. On 16 November 2007 Young finally made his international debut and came on as a half-time substitute for England in a friendly against Austria.He has since appeared in the England Friendly against Germany in November 2008, coming on as a second half substitute.

[edit] Personal

He currently lives in Stourbridge, Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, West Midlands.

Young has two football playing younger brothers. Lewis Young is a second year scholar at Watford, and 12 year old Kyle Young trains at the Arsenal Academy.^[12] Ashley was a Celtic fan in his youth, meanwhile Eric Cantona was his favourite player. His parents are Tottenham Hotspur supporters, whilst his brothers are Arsenal supporters.

Ashley Young was in the same year at The John Henry Newman School as Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton, and they played football in the same team.

[edit] Career statistics

Last Updated: 31/05/09

Career Statistics^[13][14]

Club	Season	League			FA Cup			League Cup			European			Total
		Apps	Goals	Assists	Apps	Goals	Assists	Apps	Goals	Assists	Apps	Goals	Assists	Apps	Goals	Assists
Aston Villa	08-09	36	7	9	3	0	0	1	0	0	8	2	4	48	8	13
	07-08	37	8	17	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	38	8	17
	06-07	13	2	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	13	2	3
	Total	80	15	26	4	0	0	1	0	0	8	2	4	93	17	30
Watford	06-07	20	3	3	1	0	0	2	1	2	0	0	0	24	4	5
	05-06	42	14	13	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	43	15	13
	04-05	34	0	1	0	0	0	4	0	0	0	0	0	38	0	1
	03-04	5	3	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	6	3	0
	Total	101	20	17	2	1	0	7	1	2	0	0	0	110	22	19
Career Totals		181	35	43	6	1	0	8	1	2	8	2	4	203	39	49

[edit] Honours

Watford

2004–05

• Watford Young Player of The Season

2005–06

• Championship Play-Off Winner

Aston Villa

2007–08

• Member of PFA Team of The Year
• Player of the Month Award (April)

2008–09

• Player of the Month Award (September)
• Player of the Month Award (December)
• PFA Young Player Of The Year Award
• Member of PFA Team of The Year

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Ashley Young career stats at Soccerbase
• Ashley Young profile at avfc.co.uk
• Ashley Young profile at fa.com
• Ashley Young - Official PFA interview Part 1
• Ashley Young - Official PFA interview Part 11

v • d • e PFA Young Player of the Year 1974: Beattie  | 1975: Day  | 1976: Barnes  | 1977: Gray  | 1978: Woodcock  | 1979: Regis  | 1980: Hoddle  | 1981: Shaw  | 1982: Moran  | 1983: Rush  | 1984: Walsh  | 1985: Hughes  | 1986: Cottee  | 1987: Adams  | 1988: Gascoigne  | 1989: Merson  | 1990: Le Tissier  | 1991: Sharpe  | 1992: Giggs  | 1993: Giggs  | 1994: Cole  | 1995: Fowler  | 1996: Fowler  | 1997: Beckham  | 1998: Owen  | 1999: Anelka  | 2000: Kewell  | 2001: Gerrard  | 2002: Bellamy  | 2003: Jenas  | 2004: Parker  | 2005: Rooney  | 2006: Rooney  | 2007: C. Ronaldo  | 2008: Fàbregas  | 2009: Young

v • d • e Aston Villa F.C. – current squad 1 Friedel · 2 L. Young · 3 Bouma · 4 Sidwell · 7 A. Young · 8 Milner · 9 Harewood · 10 Carew · 11 Agbonlahor · 14 Delfouneso · 15 Davies · 16 Knight · 17 Salifou · 18 Heskey · 19 Petrov · 20 Reo-Coker · 21 Shorey · 22 Guzan · 24 Cuéllar · 26 Gardner · 27 Osbourne · 29 O'Halloran · 43 Lichaj · 45 Albrighton · 46 Bannan · 47 Clark · 48 Baker · 49 Herd · 51 Lowry · Manager: O'Neill

Persondata
NAME	Young, Ashley
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION	Footballer
DATE OF BIRTH	9 July 1985
PLACE OF BIRTH	Stevenage, England
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH