Ashley Young, the former England international who played for Aston Villa, Manchester United, Inter Milan, and Everton, has announced his retirement from professional football at the age of 40. Young will play his final match for Ipswich Town against Queens Park Rangers in the Championship on Saturday.
Young began his career at Watford in 2003 before moving to Aston Villa, where his performances earned him an England debut in November 2007. He went on to win 39 caps for his country, scoring seven goals, and featured at the 2018 World Cup.
During his time at Manchester United, he won the Premier League, Europa League, FA Cup, and League Cup. A stint at Inter Milan brought him the Serie A title. After being released by Everton in 2025, he joined Ipswich Town on a one-year contract.
"It's been some journey that I only dreamt of as a boy," Young wrote on social media. "But with this dream there has to be an ending and Saturday might be the last game of my professional career ... 23 years and OUT."
Ipswich are currently second in the Championship, one point ahead of Millwall and two clear of Middlesbrough, with automatic promotion at stake. Young has made 13 appearances this season, mostly as a substitute.
"I knew I was going to have to come to this decision," Young told Sky Sports News. "I'm not getting any younger and my body has started to talk to me now. To be able to go out on my own terms is the main thing for me."
He added that his immediate focus remains on helping Ipswich secure promotion back to the Premier League.