Ashley Young is confident in his ability to make a positive impression at Everton this season.
Everton signed Ashley Young on a free transfer this summer, following the expiry of his contract with Aston Villa.
The veteran defender brings a huge amount of experience with him to Goodison Park, and has already shown he can still contribute on the pitch, as he started the Toffees’ first game of the new Premier League season against Fulham.
Even though Everton lost against Marco Silva’s side, Young is adamant that there were plenty of positives for his teammates to take from their performance.
As quoted by The Liverpool Echo, the 38-year-old full-back said, “I’ve seen how good the squad is…I think we showed that in the game, how we controlled the game, how we got forward and created the chances, and on a different day it would have been a different story.”
Sean Dyche’s side certainly created plenty of chances against Fulham, but not for the first time in recent seasons, poor finishing was Everton’s downfall.
MORE EVERTON STORIES
Young to make his mark at Everton
The Toffees look in need of a confidence boost, and Young is hoping that he can use his experience to help guide the Merseyside club forward. He said, “the abilities I have got – leadership on the pitch and off the pitch, that winning mentality that I have – can help a squad…It’s about seeing what qualities I can bring to the squad. I want to do as well as I can and bring everything I can.”
Young has been in relegation battles before in his career, and has also been a part of hugely successful teams. The former England international knows what it takes to win, and thrive, in the Premier League. If he can help to instil a ‘winning mentality’ at Everton then that would be a massive boost for the club.
Dyche will be hoping to see Young have a positive influence in the Everton dressing room. The former Manchester United man will have a responsibility to help and support the club’s younger players such as James Garner and Jarrad Branthwaite.
However, he will also need to show that he still has what it takes to consistently produce positive, energetic performances on the pitch. Young clearly works hard to maintain his fitness, and deserves credit for extending his career at the highest level this long, but his move to Everton still represented a risk for the club. Dyche will be hoping Young’s body can hold out for long enough for the defender to repay the club’s faith in him.