Ashley Young's England vow at 38, five year wait and "joke" Southgate call-up
England's World Cup semi-finalists have gone down a variety of paths since their heartbreaking extra-time defeat against Croatia in 2018, but none have done the same at Ashley Young.
There was one retirement, with Jamie Vardy - a substitute against Croatia - telling Gareth Southgate he no longer wanted to be considered for selection. He later clarified he hadn't shut the door entirely, but has not added to his 26 caps.
Others like Dele Alli and Jesse Lingard, are now in the international wilderness, though the likes of Jordan Pickford and Harry Kane remain very much in the picture. Young, though, lies somewhere in between.
The full-back, on the verge of joining Everton, hasn't played for England since making way for Danny Rose during the Croatia game. At 38, some might assume he'd drawn a line under his international career, but that is not the case.
"After the tournament I said to Gareth, ‘I will never rule myself out playing," Young said in 2022. "I know you will go with younger players and I totally agree.
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“I am not retiring so if you ever need me, if you ever want to recall me, you can do, as long as I am playing well. It is down to you’.”
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Ashley Young's last England appearance came five years ago (PA)Mirror Football is now on Threads! You can follow us here
Southgate does indeed seem to have favoured youth in the five years since. Indeed, the oldest member of his 26-man World Cup squad - Young's fellow full-back Kyle Walker - is five years younger than the former Man Utd captain.
And yet, when the Three Lions boss picked out players for his 55-man longlist ahead of the tournament, Young's name was there. To get in this 55 for Qatar shows you I must have been doing something right," he told The Sun.
“I was joking with someone from the FA who messaged me about the squad. I was like ‘This has to be a joke, surely?
“I will retire from international football when I retire from football. I can still play at the highest level."
Ashley Young is close to an Everton move after leaving Aston Villa (PA)Young's inclusion came as he showed he still had plenty to give at club level. The former Watford man was a winger in his first Villa spell, but returned as a full-back and played 29 league games last term.
He remained a popular figure with Villa fans, so much so that many were disappointed to learn he wouldn't be sticking around. Villa's loss could yet be Everton's game, with Sean Dyche - a one-time team-mate of young at Watford - bringing him in as he works on a limited budget.
At international level, though, today makes it five years in the wilderness. A handful of 38-year-olds featured in the last European Championships, though, so perhaps we'd be hasty to ignore Young's own words and consider him unavailable.
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