Ashley Young has set his sights on helping Manchester United win a record 20th league championship after signing a five-year, £120,000-a-week contract to complete his £16 million transfer to Old Trafford.
Raring to go: Ashley Young has already got his eye on a Premier League trophy Photo: PA
The Premier League champions had agreed a fee with Aston Villa and personal terms with the player before he departed on holiday to Las Vegas earlier this month and a club statement on Wednesday afternoon confirmed Young had passed a medical held at Manchester’s Bridgewater Hospital on Wednesday.
The 25-year-old England international will join up with his new team-mates when United return to pre-season training on July 4 and admitted that he could not wait to begin his first campaign at “one of the greatest clubs in the world” as he attempts to make history under the guidance of Sir Alex Ferguson.
“It is surreal, but I am delighted to be here,” Young told MUTV. “I am going to miss Villa, the fans, the manager and the staff, but to have the chance to come and play for one of the biggest clubs in the world is one that I could not turn down.
“To come here and play with such great players and have the chance to be part of a team that hopefully wins the 20th title would be amazing. The prospect of playing for one of the truly great clubs was one that I always looked at as a child and now that I am here I have to take the opportunity with both hands.
“You do get a buzz inside [when told United have made a bid]. You get a great feeling that one of the greatest managers in the world wants to sign you and one of the greatest clubs in the world wants to buy you. For me, as soon as I got the call, I wanted to get things sorted, get the papers signed and get in to training.
“United have that winning mentality and for myself as a player I have always wanted to be the best I can be. To come to a club like this you are always going to have challenges. I want to win titles and hopefully I can be part of that this time.”
Young becomes Ferguson’s second signing of the summer — alongside the former Blackburn defender Phil Jones, purchased for £16.5 million — and can be expected to be joined at Old Trafford by David De Gea, the Atletico Madrid and Spain Under-21 goalkeeper. The 20 year-old will cost around £18.3 million.
With Ferguson also keen to add a midfielder to compensate for the loss of Paul Scholes — Wesley Sneijder, Luka Modric and Samir Nasri are all thought to be under consideration — this is likely to be the Scot’s most thorough overhaul of his playing resources for 15 years.
The 69 year-old wishes to rejuvenate his ageing side, with one of his stalwarts, Rio Ferdinand, quick to recognise the characteristics Ferguson seems to have prioritised in welcoming Young to Old Trafford. Ferdinand wrote on Twitter: “Welcoming Ashley Young to Manchester United. Another top, hungry and young player joins the ranks.”
Young’s move to Old Trafford completes a stellar rise for the Stevenage-born forward. He was rejected from Watford’s youth academy as a teenager but eventually managed to earn a contract at the club, making his debut in 2003.
He impressed in the opening six months of the club’s solitary season in the Premier League before moving to Aston Villa for £9.75 million in January 2007.
“Ashley has made a terrific contribution and everyone at the club wishes him the best,” said Alex McLeish, the new Villa manager.
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