Former Manchester United winger Ashley Young has revealed that he requires a hip replacement, months after announcing his retirement from professional football at the age of 40. The former England international opened up about the severe joint pain that plagued the final months of his career, which ultimately forced his decision to hang up his boots.
Pain so severe he couldn't train for three months
In a candid interview on the High Performance Podcast, Young disclosed that the joint pain became so intense that he was unable to train for three months during the closing stretch of his career. He had previously attempted to manage the discomfort with injections, but eventually concluded that surgery was unavoidable.
“I went down on my hip in November and had an injection. I have always said to myself 'If my body is saying you need injections, there is a problem, you need to think about retiring',” Young said.
The 40-year-old, who enjoyed a distinguished career at clubs including Watford, Aston Villa, Manchester United, and Inter Milan, explained that the diagnosis came as a shock. “Basically I need a hip replacement, in November I was told I would need it in about 10 years time. I got to January and was due to have another injection which would have got me through to the end of the season, as I was saying to the specialist 'I know it is painful, but I want to make sure I do everything I can possibly do to help the team'. About a week before I am about to have the injection, I go down on it in training and I am like 'this is worse, I know it is a lot worse'.”
Bone on bone from years of overuse
Young revealed that the root cause of his agony was the wear and tear of a long career. “Basically I am bone on bone from years of overuse. The physios and doctors have said to me, particularly this season 'have you had a problem with your hip before' and I was like 'No', they were like 'are you sure because you are basically bone on bone, there is no cartilage there, that is why you are getting so much pain'.”
The former Manchester United star, who won the Premier League title with the Red Devils in 2013, described the final months of his career as a battle against his own body. “From January to the end of the season, I literally had two or three months where I couldn’t train it was that painful. I saw the specialist again and said 'I’m not going out like this'. He said he didn’t want to give me another injection as it would weaken the area.”
Defying medical advice to help his team
Despite the specialist's warnings, Young was determined to contribute to his team's promotion push. “I asked him 'are you telling me I can’t play football again, you can say it if you want, trust me if I get an opportunity to be back on the pitch, I’ll be back on the pitch'. The last two months of the season I was training every day and he was like 'it is not possible, you shouldn’t be training'. Medically I don’t think I should have been out on the pitch but I made sure I was available for the last three games of the season. I travelled with the team and was with them every week. It would have been incredible to come onto the pitch for the last game of the season but for me to train like I did that week and for us to be promoted on the last day of the season, it was fitting.”
Young's revelation highlights the physical toll professional football takes on players, even those who manage to play into their 40s. His career, which spanned over two decades, saw him win numerous trophies, including the Premier League, FA Cup, and Europa League with Manchester United, as well as the Serie A title with Inter Milan.
He made 39 appearances for England, representing his country at two World Cups and two European Championships. His decision to retire came after helping Everton secure promotion to the Premier League, a fitting end to a remarkable career.
