‘I turned down Liverpool and Man City to join Man Utd – I didn’t want to go anywhere else’

Ashley Young was a man in demand when he left Aston Villa in 2011, but the former England international had no hesitation in joining Manchester United ahead City and Liverpool

Ashley Young snubbed Manchester City and Liverpool in favour of a move to Manchester United. As he was gearing up to depart Aston Villa back in 2011, Young was a sought-after player but joining Sir Alex Ferguson’s side was an easy choice for him.

The versatile star transitioned from a dazzling forward at Villa Park to a dependable full-back during his time with United. Young racked up 261 appearances for the Red Devils, clinching the Premier League title and other significant honours before leaving for Inter Milan in January 2020.

Now 40, Young, who recently joined Championship side Ipswich Town, continues to impress despite his advancing years. He is likely to be watching as United and City lock horns in the first Manchester derby of the season on Sunday.

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Recalling his move to United amid interest from City and Liverpool, Young told UTD Podcast in 2019: “My agent called me and said, ‘Listen, you’re going into the last year of your contract [at Villa], there are a few teams that are in for you.

“He said Liverpool. We’d already spoken to City. Then he said United had come in. And I said, ‘When am I [to] meet Sir Alex [Ferguson]? Where’s the pen?’ There was no other place I wanted to go.

“The history of the club, the players that were here, what they’d achieved. For me, that was the place I wanted to be. I wanted to go there and put my marker down on this club and play for the biggest club, for me, in the world. As soon as my agent said that… we didn’t even meet Liverpool.”

The England winger admitted he was starstruck during his first meeting with Sir Alex. He added: “I always remember the meeting with Sir Alex in London.

“I think it was probably a two-hour meeting. Ten minutes of that, we spoke about football, the rest was about horses and wine! It was one of them where the boss has just got that aura.

“He challenged me and said you either sink or swim. That’s basically what it is, you’re going to be challenged every day. And that’s what I wanted. Ultimately, it was down to me to make the decision and as soon as I could sign here, I wanted to sign.”

Young indeed rose to the challenge, becoming a member of United’s last league-winning squad in 2013 and later being appointed as captain by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in 2019.

Young’s first derby was one to forget, as it came during the 6-1 thrashing in 2011. He also enjoyed some success in the fixture, winning four out of 12 matches, including a memorable performance in which he scored once and set up two goals in a 4-2 triumph in 2015.

Two years ago, Young opened up about maintaining a relationship with Ferguson. He told the Telegraph: “I talk to them all [previous managers]. I won’t say the best but the one who has given me the most is ‘The Boss’, Sir Alex. The one I still talk to most is ‘The Boss’.”

Despite leaving United in 2020, Young’s ties to the club are still strong. At Ipswich, he is playing under Kieran McKenna, who was a part of United’s first-team coaching staff for five years before taking the reins at the Tractor Boys in December 2021.

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