Manchester United

Ashley Young "delighted" to be back in Manchester United plans

By Barney Corkhill, Editor | 23 February 2017

Manchester United full-back Ashley Young is "delighted" to have worked his way back into Jose Mourinho's first-team plans and is hopeful of starting in the EFL Cup final.

Manchester United full-back Ashley Young has said that he is "delighted" to have worked his way back into Jose Mourinho's plans at the club.

The 31-year-old was expected to leave Old Trafford in January, but despite reported interest from the Chinese Super League a move never materialised.

Young has since started in back-to-back games against Blackburn Rovers and Saint-Etienne, and he is now hopeful of retaining his place for Sunday's EFL Cup final against Southampton at Wembley.

"I am delighted. I am a player who wants to play week in, week out. Every player in the squad wants to play. Whenever called upon, I have just got to go out there, give 110% and play as well as I can. The manager said I was man of the match at Blackburn and it was nice to get a compliment," he told reporters.

"I am just one of the players who wants to get back on the training pitch, go again and look forward to the next game. As a professional nowadays you have to be able to play a number of positions and I have played all over the pitch. I think it is only goalkeeper I haven't played as. I don't fancy that - maybe in training, though!

"It is just one of those things. You have to be ready whenever called upon and if you have got a good footballing brain, and can read the game well, then it helps. I am concentrating on my football. I am here at United for the rest of the season and another year, so I am concentrating on everything here.

"It would be fantastic [to play in the final]. But that is down to the manager to decide. As long as I am ready then we will just have to wait and see."

Young has made just 13 appearances in all competitions for United this season.