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Ashley Young has been a loyal servant for Manchester United. The Englishman joined the Red Devils for €18 million in 2011 from Aston Villa. Initially, a winger who could play on both flanks, in his later years he has deputised in the defence, as well as a right-back and a left-back.The versatile player has played a key role in the transition that Manchester United are going through which has seen more downs than ups.
The former Manchester United captain has made a total of 261 appearances during which he scored 19 goals and assisted 43 more. His performances declined over the years and the 34-year-old former England international recently joined Inter Milan for €1.5 million bringing an end to a 9 and half year career at Old Trafford where he's become a fan favourite over the years.
Here are 3 players from the Manchester United academy who can replace Ashley Young in the first team in the days to come.
#3 Harvey Neville
Harvey Neville is the son of Manchester United legend, Phil Neville. Like his father, he is also a fullback. He joined Manchester United academy at a very young age and moved to city rivals Manchester City in 2013. The 2002-year born starlet joined Valencia in 2015 when his father was the assistant manager out there and then returned to Old Trafford in 2018. The former Ireland U19 international features regularly in the U18 Premier League.
He is already making his name out there in the Manchester United academy and he can very well put his hat in the ring in contention to replace Ashley Young in the senior squad in the long run. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer loves to work with youngsters and doesn't hesitate to give them chances to prove themselves. The likes of Brandon Williams and Mason Greenwood are perfect examples that Ole puts his trust in the youngsters in the squad.
#2 Demetri Mitchell
The 23-year-old is a graduate of the Manchester United academy setup. He currently features for the Manchester United U23 squad which plays in the Premier League 2, the top league for the reserve sides in England. He's gained quite some experience over the years and should be able to prove his mettle in the senior squad as well.
Demetri Mitchell is a versatile player who can play as a left-back, left midfielder and a left winger as well making him a useful utility player on the left flank. He started his career in the left-wing much like Ashley Young and over the years has grown into a role that makes him deputise the left side of the defence. He is known for his pace and trickery and can assist also from his deeper position on the field. He is a good penalty taker which makes it an icing on the cake for his case to be called up to the first team and replace Ashley Young in the long run.
#1 Ethan Laird
The 18-year-old starlet is another talent coming out through the ranks of the Manchester United academy. He joined Manchester United U18 in 2017 and soon made his debut out there before cementing his place in the starting lineup in the games that followed. His development did not go unnoticed and he was promoted to the reserve team of Manchester United at the beginning of this season.
He's primarily a right-back but he's a versatile defensive all-rounder and can play anywhere in the back 4 which makes him a vital asset of the Manchester United U23 squad. His versatility gives flexibility to the squad and the tactics on the field. The England U19 international is one of the best players in his positions in his age group.
Laird has already got call-ups to the first team by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and he has featured in the EFL Cup and the Europa League this season currently having 5 appearances so far where he has also scored once in the EFL Cup. Ole trusts him and we are likely to see more of him in the days to come and he can be a brilliant and better replacement for Ashley Young in the long run.
