'I know I was right to leave Man Utd – they showed their true colours in contract offer'
Former Manchester United star Ashley Young was left with no regrets after deciding to leave Old Trafford. He spent eight-and-a-half years with the Red Devils before completing a switch to Inter Milan in January 2020.Young joined as a pacey winger from Aston Villa in 2011 and won the Premier League two years later before reinventing himself as a defender. The versatile player also lifted the FA Cup, League Cup and Europa League while at United.His wealth of experience saw him handed the captain's armband by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in August 2019. However, just months later, the former England international opted to give up his leadership role to pursue Italian football under Antonio Conte at Inter.The gamble paid off for Young, who secured a Serie A winner's medal in his second campaign. Looking back on his choice to head to Italy, Young explained what persuaded him to leave United, despite being offered fresh terms."A contract offer was made," Young told The Telegraph in 2023. "It was too late. I had made up my mind.MAKE THE MIRROR YOUR FIRST CHOICE! Click here to activate or add us as Preferred Source in your Google search settings"How I saw it was, if United really wanted to keep me, they would have offered me a contract before the interest came in."READ MORE: Edwin van der Sar's 'two good conversations' with Man Utd over chance of returnREAD MORE: Rasmus Hojlund makes feelings very clear on permanent Man Utd exitYoung racked up 261 appearances for United and remained one of the few squad members who'd won the Premier League under Sir Alex Ferguson before his departure. The veteran campaigner featured 34 times during his only full season at Inter, having come agonisingly close to securing a Serie A and Europa League double in his first campaign."It's obviously nice to win the Premier League and then to go to a new league and win that as well is just incredible, an unbelievable feeling," he told Sky Sports in 2021. "It's never easy to leave a club in January but I'm looking back now and I think I made the right decision."I always wanted to go out and win. I've got that ambition, drive and desire to win. "FOLLOW OUR MAN UTD FB PAGE! Latest United news and more on our dedicated Facebook pageAfter his 18-month stint in Italy, Young made a heartfelt return to Villa, where he played a key role in guiding the club back into European football under Unai Emery. In 2023, he signed for Everton on a free transfer - the side United are set to face on Monday.Throughout his two-year spell with the Toffees, Young continued to demonstrate his lasting quality, clocking up 63 league appearances. After playing in his penultimate game for the club at Goodison Park, Young told Evertontv: "It's been a fantastic two years. Ups and downs. People have been against us, but we stuck together and that's what the club's about: sticking together."He added: "I'm delighted that I've been able to represent this club. It's a fantastic club, steeped in history and I'm glad I've been part of this history."Shortly after turning 40, Young began the next phase of his playing days by joining Ipswich Town, reuniting with former United first team coach Kieran McKenna in the Championship. The ex-United captain has also taken on punditry duties for Sky Sports this season, hinting at his plans for after he retires.Join our new MAN UTD WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Manchester United content from Mirror Football. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL packageThis article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn moreSky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games next season, an increase of up to 100 more.
