Ashley Young insists he’s no different to other Ipswich Town players as he details what he can offer

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Ashley Young might be the oldest player in the Championship, but he believes his age won’t standing in the way of being the best player he can be for Ipswich Town.

The former Manchester United defender reunited with his former Red Devils coach Kieran McKenna at Portman Road this summer, signing on a free transfer from Everton. His son Tyler Young has signed for Ipswich’s academy on a one-year deal, too.

Young turned 40 in July, and is now playing in his 23rd season as a professional, his first in the Championship since 2006 when he was playing for Watford.

The full back insists that age is just a number when it comes to his abilities, though, and while he will be a good mentor to Ipswich Town’s younger stars, the former England international says he will keep pushing to be the best player McKenna and co. could ask for on the pitch, too.

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Former Everton defender Ashley Young says he offers Ipswich Town more on the pitch than off it

Quizzed on whether he had plenty more to give given his age by Ipswich Town website TWTD.com, Young revealed he’d been asked the same question for the last six years.

He said: “Of course I do. I wouldn’t have signed here if I didn’t think that I could do that. The question has been asked for the last five or six years if I could keep doing it. I knew at the end of last season that I wasn’t ready to retire and knew I still had a lot to give. I still think now I’ve got a lot to give on the pitch and off the pitch, more so for me on the pitch.

“I want to be involved as much as I can and whenever the manager calls upon me, I’ll give 100 per cent every time I pull on the Ipswich shirt or in training. I’ll be looking to push non-stop. There’s plenty of games to play, everybody’s got to be ready when the games come around. I’m no different to that and I’m looking forward to the rest of the games.”

Young featured in every single Premier League game for Everton last term bar four fixtures, showing he’s still got plenty in the tank when it comes to playing football – and he thinks Town will be able to turn their mixed start to the new campaign around in their bid to get back to that league.

Ashley Young says Kieran McKenna’s side is ‘fighting’ to find form

Ipswich have had a winless start to their return to the Championship following their relegation, drawing three and losing two of their opening five fixtures in all competitions.

Ipswich spent over £50million in the transfer window, bringing in 11 new signings including Sindre Walle Egeli to make them the highest spending club in the division – and Young says good form ‘is coming’.

Young, who has played in every one of Town’s games so far, said: “You can tell everybody is together here and everybody’s wanting to fight and pull in the same direction.

“It’s there, it’s coming. We’ll go away now, have the international break and come back with some big games coming up. We’re looking forward to those games when they come around.”

Ipswich face Championship strugglers Sheffield United when the Championship resumes.