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'Old' Ashley Young feeling positive about featuring at FIFA World Cup 2018

England’s manager Gareth Southgate is ready to include Ashley Young in the full member squad for the upcoming international friendly matches.

Old Ashley Young feeling positive about featuring at FIFA World Cup 2018

London, March 15: According to the various reports, England’s manager Gareth Southgate is ready to include Ashley Young in the full member squad for the upcoming international friendly matches.

Before the FIFA World Cup 2018, England have only two opportunities in this month to look at the squad. They will first meet the Netherlands on March 23 at Amsterdam and then take on Italy at home (Wembley Stadium, London) on March 27.

Manchester United’s versatile footballer Ashley Young can feature for England in these upcoming two friendly matches. Since 2013, Young has only appeared once for England and that was in their last international friendly against Brazil in November last year. He had replaced Ryan Bertrand in the 80th minute of that match which ended in a goalless draw.

If he earns a national call this time, it would mean that Southgate has the interest to take Young to Russia. England are placed in Group G along with Belgium, Panama and Tunisia. They will begin their World Cup journey against Tunisia on June 18 at Volgograd.

While Young is considering himself 'old' for the national squad, he is also hoping for the world cup call-up due to his experience. The 32-year-old has appeared for English senior squad in 31 matches while his only big tournament experience is Euro 2012.

Recently, Young told ESPN FC, "When you go to play tournament football, the experience of playing at tournaments, and in big competitions with your club, is important. It's down to the manager to pick the squad and they have done fantastically well to qualify, but it's a really young squad and I found that out when I went there [for the November friendlies].

He further added, "I felt old as soon as I walked through the door! But as soon as you're on the training pitch, you want to do well and I think I did that in the short space of time we were together. We will just have to see what happens the next time the squad meets up."

Young was not in the England national squad for four long years, before his return in last November, but he didn’t give up hope. Talking about that, he said, "When you have been out for so long, you start wondering whether it can happen again. But I never gave up that hope and when I was called up, I said I wasn't looking to retire and would always make myself available.”

Young also spoke about that how the present England manager Gareth Southgate built his confidence. The experienced Red Devils' member quoted, "The manager said that if you were playing well and English, you would get the chance to be in the squad and I have done that.”

Now, Young’s present form is guiding him to get another national call-up. “Hopefully, there is another chance to be in the squad and I hope I have done enough to be involved in that one," he added further.

"As long as I'm playing well and doing the right things at United, it's all a bonus for me," he signed off.

Story first published: Thursday, March 15, 2018, 14:40 [IST]
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