ASHLEY YOUNG was another Manchester United player who signed a contract extension this week. Juan Mata, David de Gea, Ander Herrera and Marcus Rashford’s contracts are also under negotiation, while defender Phil Jones and Anthony Martial and Scott McTominay signed new deals. 

United’s captain, who turns 34 in July and who joined for £17 million in 2011 from Aston Villa, has been given another year as a reward for his good form, his professionalism and his versatility. He was signed because of that, his goalscoring record, and ability to play off the front a well as either wing. Being quiet and a good trainer endeared him to Sir Alex Ferguson, too.

Young is preferred at right back at present ahead of the injured/out of form Antonio Valencia, but he’s also been used previously at left back ahead of the injured/out of form Luke Shaw. He also filled in when Jose Mourinho decided Matteo Darmian or Daley Blind weren’t to be his men at full-back.

There were few complaints from United fans over Young’s extra year. Young has played 227 times for United – and more times in these last two seasons than any other. Only David de Gea, Chris Smalling and Antonio Valencia from the current squad have made more appearances. Incidentally, De Gea could become a top five appearance maker for United if he carries on as he is for the next five years.

Young has become more influential in the side with age, but few could see him being at the club at the end of the 2016 season after he’d made only 14 starts. He made only 15 starts in Jose Mourinho’s first season, but that jumped to 33 last term.

He’s better regarded now than he’s ever been among fans.

Following one game in 2014 after United beat Liverpool, a group of supporters spotted Young in Manchester city centre with a friend. They were approached and invited into a public house full of happy fans who’d been at Anfield that day. Young accepted the invitation and was soon inside among fans, singing away and enjoying the moment. At one point, he stood on a seat and started a United chant.

Just two years before, Young would have been best advised to keep a low profile in Manchester. The winger’s stock had sunk after he was rightly castigated for diving, but he gave up on that when he realised there was no place in the Olympic pool for him at London 2012.

Few United fans would have been sad to see him sold at that time, yet Young would improve under David Moyes and he was excellent in Louis van Gaal’s first season – though he did suffer the ignominy of a bird defecating in his mouth mid-match.

Absolute Animal Out There Today Glad @youngy18 Stayed Away pic.twitter.com/Bf1RfNTSt1

— Jesse Lingard (@JesseLingard) February 3, 2019

If you take a snap judgement on Young and say that he’s not the best right back in the world you’d be right. There’s room for an upgrade but United have planned well in this position and Diogo Dalot is rated as being a long-term prospect for the position.

Maybe he will be, maybe not, but Mourinho thought his compatriot was good enough to be the next Gary Neville. It’s too early to say, but while Dalot has started eight games and come on twice this season, he’s unlikely to shift straight up to being a 50-game a season full back.

It’d be great if he does and he’s 22, not 18, but to take Young’s games out of the squad when there’s very little cost to keeping him would be a mistake. He can be a squad player who is largely dependable when he fills in, as he’s proven so many times. Mistakes on the pitch are rare, unlike in his grammar where he managed four in a recent six- word tweet after the cup win at Arsenal, but Young’s paid to play, not write, and he’s paid well because he’s good at his job.

Head’s we win , Tails you loose pic.twitter.com/igwUZK2uVO

— Ashley Young (@youngy18) January 25, 2019

Young’s new deal was reported at being worth £110,000 a week. He’s an important figure in the dressing room which has seen a lot of changes, a mainstay for the six managers he’s played under since he joined. He’s English, too and it’s not a bad thing to have players who know the nuances of English football.

Young isn't as fast as he was, but he’s a grafter and he’s not let Solskjaer’s system down in which he pushes very wide and high. His crossing can frustrate fans when he gets it wrong, but the same can be said of any wide man.

Young is ageing well and was a key part in England reaching the World Cup semi-finals last year. The Stevenage lad made his England debut in 2007, but went four years without playing before his latest splurge of international caps.

He’s trusted for club and country, though there were a few hearts in mouths when he tackled Sergio Aguero in last season’s Manchester derby as United led 3-2. He got away without seriously injuring the Argentine and without a penalty being conceded. And he gave as good as he got when he scored two cracking goals against his former club Watford last season. The home fans gave him plenty of abuse, which he repaid by silencing them.  

Young has been central in the Solskjaer-inspired revival, having started eight of his ten games in charge at right back in an improving defence. He can remain important for the rest of the season and if his levels don’t drop, stay a valuable player or gently move aside as Dalot takes over. The new contract was worth signing for a trusted insurance policy. Young was initially brought into replace Ryan Giggs but that didn’t really follow convention, a bit like Young’s career for club and country, one enjoying a welcome Indian summer.

A £10 bet on Ashley Young scoring against Fulham returns £85.00