It’s only been three weeks since Ashley Young joined Inter Milan, so the Italian press is still doing their job to make a complete presentation of the 34-year-old.
Now instead of speaking of his acomplishments at Manchester United or even Aston Villa, Gazzetta Dello Sport has chosen to go even further, recalling his years at Watford.
The outlet managed to speak to Chris Cummins, who used to be the boss of the Hornets’ academy, and he’s given many details of Young’s early days at the club.
“Ash was ten when I first saw him. Speed, technique, insertion skills. He has always been a talent,” Commins told Gazzetta.
“At 16 he was ruled out by Watford, he wasn’t offered a scholarship. I remember the meeting was terrible for him. A boy sitting in front of four adults. He didn’t know what to say, playing football was his dream. He was upset and thought of giving up everything.”
“He showed up the next day. The other players had signed a full-time contract, he had a part-time one. They told him to train with U17 or U16. The boys were all younger than he was. I was the coordinator and I followed him personally, and a few years later he made his debut in the first team. You know the rest of the story.
“It’s a guarantee, he has a winning mentality. He can also play in different roles. He always wanted to score, he often did! He had a good nose for the goal, but he was better at assisting. His movements were always a threat to his opponents.
“It was 2003, he was 18, he even scored a goal against Millwall. His parents were proud of him, especially after what had happened years ago. Ash has always had a great, very positive, family-oriented attitude. I was sure he was a great player, he needed a chance. I’m happy to have offered it to him when everyone else had abandoned him. I hope Ashley will come and play for me sooner or later!”
Following his promotion to the first team in 2003, Ashley Young ended up making 121 appearances for Watford. He’s made a £12m move to Aston Villa in 2007, and was signed by Manchester United in 2011 in a £16m deal.
Now at Inter Milan, he was quick getting a starting place in the team, and already has three starts for the Nerazzurri.