Merseyside, June 25: Ashley Young has signed a one-year contract extension with Everton which will him at the club until the end of June 2025, the Premier League club said. Young called the Merseyside based club as one of the ‘best dressing rooms’ he has played in while hailing the spirit of the current Blues' dressing room as one of the strongest he has ever experienced.
"It was a no-brainer for me to sign again, I spoke to the manager before the end of the season. He asked me what I wanted to do, if I wanted to stay, and straight away I said yes because I loved my time here. Kevin (Thelwell) was the same", said Young to Everton TV.
The versatile veteran was Sean Dyche's first signing as Blues boss last summer and became the Club's oldest-ever outfield debutant at 38 years and 34 days before going on to make a total of 34 appearances in various wide roles last season.
"I’d put it up there with the best dressing rooms I’ve been in, with the best team spirit. There’s a bond there. You can tell players have been here for a while, players who have played under the manager, players who know the Club just a real togetherness. Everybody is so close-knit, not just players but staff, as well,” said the former Manchester United player.
Young, who has 39 England caps in a career that has seen him win the Premier League, Serie A, the FA Cup and the Europa League, scored his first-ever goal for the Toffees in a 3-0 EFL Cup victory over Burnley last November and quickly became a key figure in Dyche's squad that made significant on-pitch improvements last term.
"You feel that from the minute you walk in in the mornings to the time you leave. You feel that when you go to Goodison Park and when you’re with the fans. There’s a proper connection. I looked at that week [in April] and you heard how loud the fans are all the time. It was just something incredible. It was fantastic to be involved in," he added.
Young’s 453 Premier League appearances to date having previously enjoyed successful spells with Watford, Aston Villa and Manchester United is the 22nd most in the competition's history, with a place in the top 20 of the list a possibility heading into next campaign. This will be Everton's Last season playing at the iconic Goodison Park. The side will be playing at their new home, the Everton Stadium from the 2025–26 season ending a 133-year affiliation with their current home ground where they started playing in 1892.
"It means a lot to be playing here for the final year at Goodison. I think it's going to be emotional for a lot of people. We want to make history and be part of a memorable season to look back on, concluded Young.
