Ashley Young will certainly have had his doubters when he returned to Aston Villa at the age of 35 but the veteran full-back has proven himself to be an incredibly important member of Unai Emery's squad.
The former Manchester United man was brought back to Villa Park by Dean Smith in the summer of 2021, having previously made 190 appearances for the Villans between 2007-2011, contributing 37 goals and 58 assists.
He returned as a full-back on a free transfer and has been a regular under Smith, Steven Gerrard and now Emery, and could soon be on the brink of agreeing to a well-deserved contract extension with the Midlands club.
Will Young sign a contract extension at Aston Villa?
Despite the fact that Young will turn 38 in the summer, he has been a consistent force under Emery in the absence of Matty Cash and the Spaniard clearly wants him to sign a new deal, confirming that they will sit down for talks in the coming weeks.
He said: “You can’t tell, how old is he – 25, 30, 33? Maybe. 38?! OK, maybe. But for me, it changes nothing, 22 or 38.
“I know he is finishing his contract. I spoke with him and we are going to decide but I am happy with him. He uses his experiences to help the team and I appreciate it a lot."
In total, the experienced full-back has made 23 Premier League appearances this season and has started the last four games, helping Emery's side to impressive wins over Newcastle United, Chelsea, Nottingham Forest and Leicester City.
The former England international's 6.64 average rating from WhoScored is hardly awe-inspiring but it does see him ranked as the ninth-best performer so far this term, ahead of usual first-choice Cash, which emphasises just how impressive he has been at the back.
As Villa's oldest player, he also brings a wealth of experience on and off the pitch, and will undoubtedly be one of the leaders in the dressing room for Emery, so it can only be a good thing for the Spanish manager that he could be at the club again next season, especially if they find themselves playing European football.
Gerrard emphasised this in his time at the club, saying:
“I know Ashley extremely well and I must say he has been absolutely outstanding since we’ve walked through the door. Not just on the training pitch – his leadership and the standards he sets.
Young's quality, versatility and leadership make him a superb squad player for Emery to have, so it would be a huge boost if he signs on for another year at Villa Park.
