Ty Bracey: ‘Outstanding’ Ashley Young deserves a new contract at Aston Villa for next season
During both Steven Gerrard and Unai Emery’s regimes as manager at Aston Villa this season, Ashley Young has been a standout player.
Since rejoining the West Midlands outfit in 2021, the 37-year-old has gone toe to toe with Poland right-back Matty Cash for a spot in the starting line-up and, if anything edged the bout at stages.
The former England international was awarded a one-year contract extension on the first day of pre-season last summer, but with his deal now entering its final months once more, questions have arisen about his role in the Villa set-up.
No talks of a contract extension have arisen as of yet; however, Emery may be tempted to extend the veteran’s contract and bolster other areas of his squad which are lacking depth instead.
Speaking exclusively to Villa News, Aston Villa podcaster Ty Bracey admitted that Young had been “outstanding” for the club this campaign and was deserving of a contract extension.
He said: “If he was just coming on and getting minutes every now and then, then I’d say there’s no point in offering him a new contract, but especially at the start of the season, he was one of Villa’s best players.
“He’s been outstanding, he hasn’t really put a foot wrong.
“He knows the game, he knows his role to perfection and he knows how to take instructions very well.
“I’d love to see another year there as long as the performances match the ones this season, and there’s no reason why he can’t.”
Young’s importance to the isn’t just limited to his time spent on the Villa Park pitch, with the ex-Manchester United winger playing a huge role inside the dressing room and on the training pitches.
The Englishman’s leadership qualities will be worth their weight in gold for Emery as he re-adapts to life in the Premier League, and his role within the Villa set-up has striking similarities to that of James Milner at Liverpool.
Both players are loved by the fanbase, held in high regard by their managers, and both strive to lead the team on the training ground regardless of their position in the first team.
The big question is whether Emery will look to shuffle his right-back options in the summer and, if he does, whether Young will be the expendable player.
In other Aston Villa news, a “silly offer” could lead to Ollie Watkins quitting Villa Park in the summer.