Ashley Young in Aston Villa contract talks
Unai Emery claims age would be no barrier to Villa offering Ashley Young another contract.
Young turns 38 this summer and is Villa’s oldest player by several years but has enjoyed an excellent season, making 23 Premier League appearances and starting each of the last four matches.
Emery plans to speak with the veteran, who returned to Villa in 2021 after a decade at Manchester United and Inter Milan, in the coming weeks to discuss the future and did not confirm whether a new deal would be forthcoming.
But he made clear Young’s age would not come into consideration when making a decision. He said: “I spoke with him when I arrived here and told him football is changing and players are too.
“Maybe 20, 30 or 40 years ago it was impossible to keep in the squad a player who was 38, or very difficult.
“But at Villarreal I had a player who was 40 years old and now I have changed my mind about young and old players.
“For me, it is the same because today players care about being healthy, about their physical work.”
Young will equal his number of Premier League appearances from last season should he feature for Villa at Brentford on Saturday.
But he has already started eight more matches this time around and has provided serious competition at right-back for Matty Cash, who has been sidelined since the international break with a calf injury.
Emery admires his work-rate and experience, explaining: “Now if you were watching Young’s matches you are only focused on how he is playing.
“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 helping the team and I appreciate it a lot.
“When we are with the other players analysing the match, I show them.”
Sixth-placed Villa head to Brentford aiming for a sixth straight Premier League win to further boost their hopes of qualifying for European football next season.
They can also set a new league record for the longest team scoring streak under a new manager, having so far netted in all 18 matches since Emery took charge at the start of November.
