Young waiting on Man Utd contract but has no desire to leave

Ashley Young is hoping to be given the chance to retire as a Manchester United player despite being yet to see his contract extended.

The 32-year-old’s current deal includes the option for a 12-month extension, but the Red Devils have not triggered that clause.

There is no rush on that front and Young is not overly concerned about having to wait his turn when it comes to future talks.

He has been around long enough to know that these things take time and that exit talk is inevitable, but he is eager to stick around at Old Trafford after becoming a valuable asset under Jose Mourinho.

“It’s reported every year that I am about to leave but I’ve always wanted to be here,” Young told the Daily Mail.

“And for as long as I can, I’d like to finish my career at United. I’ve got that mentality to keep going and change people’s minds.

“I know how to play the game, I’ve got a football brain, and feel as fit and healthy as I did when I was younger. I’d be able to give the 23-year-old me a race.”

Young added: “My legs might take a bit longer to recover after games but other than that, I feel as fit as ever.

“The manager has high standards he wants to keep. He enjoys a joke but when it’s time to get down to serious work, you need to be serious. As players you don’t have to be told.

“You will see people come back disappointed if they’ve lost a game in training. It’s that Man United mentality. There is no better feeling than success at this club.”

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It is that mindset which Young has bought into since joining United from Aston Villa in 2011.

He acknowledges that he is on the books at a global superpower and that for as long as that adventure continues, he needs to embrace all that comes with it.

“I think United is the biggest club in the world,” said the England international, who has enjoyed a new lease of life after being dropped back into a defensive role by Mourinho.

“I got a sense of it from my first pre-season tour to America. It was a long flight, I was tired and ready to go to my hotel room when we arrived. Then I saw the amount of fans outside the hotel, and they didn’t leave the whole time we were there.

“I’m a private person and like to keep away from things when I’m not playing. But I understand as a United footballer, you’ll be recognised nearly everywhere and people want to have things signed or pictures taken. It’s part of the territory and you have to embrace it.”