I spoke to Man City before making Man United transfer – there was no contest between them

Manchester United icon Ashley Young previously admitted to rejecting interest from Manchester City before joining Sir Alex Ferguson's side from Aston Villa in 2011

Ashley Young had interest from other clubs before signing for Manchester United in 2011(Image: Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Former Manchester United star Ashley Young revealed he turned down Manchester City before heading to Old Trafford. Young was in demand as he prepared to leave Aston Villa in 2011 but he needed no convincing to sign for Sir Alex Ferguson’s side.

The tricky winger proved to be a bargain, developing from the forward that had dazzled at Villa Park into a full-back during his eight-and-a-half years at the club. Young made 261 appearances for United, winning the Premier League and several other major trophies before joining Inter Milan in January 2020.

Young, 40, recently signed for Championship side Ipswich Town as he continues to defy his age. However, he will likely be keeping a close eye on how United fare in the Manchester Derby this weekend, having spurned interest from United’s fiercest rivals during his career.

“My agent called me and said: ‘Listen, you’re going into the last year of your contract (at Villa), there are a few teams that are in for you,” Young told the UTD Podcast in 2019.

“He said Liverpool. We’d already spoken to City. Then he said United had come in. And I said: ‘When am I [to] meet Sir Alex (Ferguson)? Where’s the pen?’ There was no other place I wanted to go.

“The history of the club, the players that were here, what they’d achieved. For me, that was the place I wanted to be.

“I wanted to go there and put my marker down on this club and play for the biggest club, for me, in the world. As soon as my agent said that… we didn’t even meet Liverpool.”

Ashley Young recalled his first meeting with Sir Alex Ferguson(Image: John Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images)

Having emerged as a star prospect at Watford, Young later became a key player for Martin O’Neill’s high-flying Villa side, scoring 37 goals and providing 51 assists in 190 games during his first spell at the club. His performances captured Ferguson’s attention, and the England international admitted to being in awe when first speaking to the legendary United boss.

“I always remember the meeting with Sir Alex in London,” he recalled. “I think it was probably a two-hour meeting. Ten minutes of that, we spoke about football, the rest was about horses and wine! It was one of them where the boss has just got that aura.

“He challenged me and said you either sink or swim. That’s basically what it is, you’re going to be challenged every day. And that’s what I wanted. Ultimately, it was down to me to make the decision and as soon as I could sign here, I wanted to sign.”

Young scored against Manchester City in April 2015 as part of a 4-2 win(Image: Tom Purslow/Manchester United via Getty Images)

It seems he passed the test that Ferguson had warned him about. Young was part of United’s most recent league-winning side in 2013 and was named club captain by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer six years later.

Unfortunately for Young, his first appearance in a Manchester Derby was the infamous 6-1 defeat in 2011. He won in four of his 12 appearances in the fixture, notably scoring once and providing two assists in a 4-2 victory in 2015.

Two years ago, Young revealed he was still in contact with his former boss Ferguson, a decade on from the manager’s retirement. “I talk to them all [previous managers],” Young told The Telegraph.

“I won’t say the best but the one who has given me the most is ‘The Boss’. Sir Alex. The one I still talk to most is ‘The Boss’.”

Young may have left United in 2020, but his connections to the club remain. He is managed by Kieran McKenna at Ipswich, who was part of United’s first team coaching staff for five years before joining the Tractor Boys in December 2021.

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