Ashley Young is determined to play a crucial role in Aston Villa’s pursuit of European football next season after rejoining the club from Inter Milan on an initial one-year deal.
Ashley Young said: “It feels amazing to be back, it feels like I’ve not left. You can see how much the club has evolved since my time and I’m just ready to get down to work now. When I heard of the interest from Aston Villa, it was straight to my agent, ‘get a deal done, whatever you can, get a deal done’. I’m just delighted to be back, seeing some old faces, being back at the training ground, seeing the facilities and how well they’ve grown.”
Despite being the only player over 30 years of age at the club and all the experience that comes with lifting the Premier League and playing in Champions League nights and World Cup semi-finals, Villa’s latest signing has no intention to just make up the numbers in Smith’s squad.
Ashley Yong added: “When I see the squad here, the staff and the players, to have the opportunity to join this club again is fantastic for me and I just want to get down to work and bring my qualities, my experience to a young squad. I don’t know whether I’m going to be a father figure, for me to come here, not to just be around the squad, I want to come here and play. Competition for places, I’ve had it at every club I’ve played at, so I’m just delighted to be back here, challenging, challenging the players who were here last season and bringing my qualities and experience to this squad.”
Young was a part of a solid Inter Milan rearguard that shipped the fewest amount of goals in the Serie A last season and after playing 26 league games from a left-wing back role under Conte, Young had to be, by every definition, fit to wear the shirt. He might be approaching his maturer years as a player, but having just excelled in one of the most physically challenging leagues in world football and under a notoriously demanding head coach, Young most certainly will not look out of place at Villa Park next season.
Ashley Yong said: “I think someone said (about me) ‘he’s coming to the end of his career’, ‘he hasn’t got that hunger any more’, ‘he’s just going there for a swansong. That’s not me at all, I’ve still got that winning mentality, that winners’ attitude, that desire and hunger to go and win. Watching from afar, seeing the squad, how well they did last season, how well they’ve been doing. The staff, the manager, how the players want to play for him; they’ve got that hunger, he’s got that desire, that winning mentality. And, for me, I know I’ve got that winning mentality.”
Young’s first game back in the Premier League could come against another old club of his, Watford as Villa kick-off their 2021/22 campaign at Vicarage Road on August 14.
