Ex-Man United & Aston Villa icon targeted for romantic EFL return | OneFootball

Watford are exploring the romantic return of former Manchester United and England man Ashley Young to Vicarage Road this summer.

As they prepare for another season in the Championship, Watford are reportedly lining up a move to re-sign former player Ashley Young, who left the club all the way back in 2007.

The Hornets were relegated from the Premier League at the end of the 2021/22 campaign, and they have struggled to mount any sort of serious challenge for the top six or promotion since returning to the second-tier.

Rob Edwards, Slaven Bilic and Chris Wilder managed the side to an 11th-place finish in the 2022/23 season, before Valerian Ismael and then Tom Cleverley oversaw a 15th-place finish the year after, and then the latter managed to see out last season, whereby they finished 14th.

Having drifted into becoming a mid-table team in the second division, things are being shaken up a touch again this summer at Vicarage Road, with the appointment of Uruguayan coach Paulo Pezzolano.

Despite the new manager representing a fresh start, it has now, though, been reported that they are trying to clinch what would be the romantic return of a former cult hero.

Watford looking at Ashley Young return

According to Alex Crook of talkSPORT, Watford are ‘exploring’ a move to sign Ashley Young, following his departure from Everton at the end of his contract this summer.

The former England international, who represented the Three Lions on 39 occasions and played at both UEFA EURO 2012 and the 2018 FIFA World Cup, turned 40 last week.

Despite that, it has been said that Watford have no issues over his age or any concerns over his fitness issues, with Young also apparently keen on a return to the Hertfordshire club.

It is believed that the final decision on the move will be made by Pezzolano, who departed Real Valladolid mid-way through last season, having been in charge of their promotion-winning campaign to La Liga in the 2023/24 campaign.

Watford have brought in six players so far this summer, with Nathan Baxter, Marc Bola and Hector Kyprianou all joining on free transfers from Bolton Wanderers, Samsunspor and Peterborough United respectively.

As well as that, James Abankwah has returned on loan from affiliate club Udinese, whilst Vivaldo Semedo has arrived on a permanent deal from the Friulians. They have also signed Othman Maamma from Montpellier for an undisclosed fee.

Ashley Young’s impressive career at Watford and after Watford

Young came through the academy at Watford, having joined the club at the age of ten in the summer of 1995, and he went on to break into the first-team in 2003.

Playing an instrumental role in helping Watford gain promotion to the Premier League in 2006, Young eventually departed the Hornets after three-and-a-half seasons to join Aston Villa.

With Villa, Young turned himself into one of the best wingers in the Premier League as they regularly challenged for a top four finish and UEFA Champions League qualification.

He eventually moved on to Manchester United in the summer of 2011 and won a Premier League title, an FA Cup, an EFL Cup, the Community Shield and the UEFA Europa League over the course of eight and a half seasons with the Red Devils.

Upon his departure from Old Trafford, he moved to Italy to link up with Antonio Conte’s Internazionale, where he won the second league title of his career with the 2020/21 Scudetto.