Ashley Young has announced his retirement from football, closing the curtain on a stellar career.
The former England and Manchester United star, who has been playing for Ipswich Town since 2025, confirmed the news on X on Thursday, saying: ‘From Sefton Road to Vicarage Road to Villa Park to Wembley to Old Trafford to San Siro back to Villa Park to Goodison Park and finally to Portman Road.
‘It’s been some journey that I only dreamt of as a boy! But with this dream there has to be an ending and Saturday might be the Last Game Of My Professional Career. 23 years and OUT!’
Young, 40, will hope his final act will be securing promotion to the Premier League with Ipswich Town, who sit second in the Championship ahead of a three-way battle for the final automatic spot on the last day of the season.
Ipswich can guarantee a return to the Premier League with victory over QPR on Saturday afternoon.
Young has featured 15 times in all competitions for Kieran McKenna’s side this season, but has not played since the end of January due to a hip flexor problem.
Ashley Young, pictured with Ipswich in January, has announced his retirement from football
The former Manchester United star won the Premier League under Sir Alex Ferguson
Speaking about Young, McKenna paid tribute to his professionalism since arriving at Portman Road.
‘Ashley’s career in the game speaks for itself and it has been an honour to have worked with him, firstly at Manchester United and then here at Ipswich this season,’ he told the club’s official website.
‘The professionalism, competitiveness and quality he displays every day has had a massive impact on the group this season and I know he wants nothing more than to end his career by helping us achieve our goal.’
Mark Ashton, Ipswich chairman, added: ‘Having known Ashley for more than 20 years, from the days of his first professional contract at Watford to this season with us here, it’s been a privilege to have seen the stellar career he has had.
‘Ashley has been an exceptional character within the squad this season and has been influential in so many ways, and it’s testament to his professionalism that his full focus remains on helping the team reach its goal at the end of the season.’
Coming through the ranks at Watford, Young made his debut for the Hornets in September 2003 – scoring as a substitute against Millwall. He would go on to make 110 appearances for the club, scoring 22 goals, before leaving for Aston Villa in January 2007.
He spent four-and-a-half seasons at Villa Park, scoring 38 goals in 190 games, before leaving for Manchester United in the summer of 2011.
Young spent eight-and-half campaigns at United – winning all possible domestic honours with the club, the pinnacle being their last Premier League title in 2012-13. He also won the 2016-17 Europa League with the Red Devils and captained the club.
After 261 appearances and 19 goals, Young spent a season-and-a-half at Inter Milan – helping them lift the 2020-21 Serie A title. In doing so became only the third Englishman to win the league title in Italy after Jimmy Greaves (AC Milan) in 1962 and Gerry Hitchens (Inter) in 1963.
Young was first-choice left wing-back for England at the 2018 World Cup where they reached the semi-finals
Young returned to Aston Villa in the summer of 2021 and spent two years there before a further two with Everton.
He joined Ipswich on a free transfer last July after being released by the Toffees.
His England career spanned 11 years between 2007 and 2018 – winning 39 caps and scoring seven goals. Euro 2012 and the 2018 World Cup saw him feature heavily, playing all four matches in the former, then as a winger.
In the latter, he established himself as first-choice left wing-back as Gareth Southgate’s side reached the semi-finals before losing in extra-time 2-1 to Croatia.
