Former Manchester United star Ashley Young has revealed that he needs a hip replacement after suffering severe pain during the final stages of his football career.
The 40-year-old recently announced his retirement from professional football, bringing an accomplished career to an end. However, Young has now disclosed just how much his hip problems affected him during his final season.
Speaking on the High Performance Podcast, Young explained that his condition became so serious that he was unable to train for several months. He had previously relied on injections to manage the pain but eventually reached the point where further treatment was no longer considered a suitable option.
Young said he first received an injection after suffering a problem with his hip in November. At the time, doctors told him that he could potentially need a hip replacement in around 10 years.
“I went down on my hip in November and had an injection. I have always said to myself, ‘If my body is saying you need injections, there is a problem, you need to think about retiring,’” Young said.
The former England international had planned to have another injection in January, hoping it would allow him to continue playing through the end of the campaign.
However, his condition deteriorated before he could receive the treatment.
“About a week before I am about to have the injection, I go down on it in training and I am like, ‘This is worse, I know it is a lot worse,’” he explained.
Young was subsequently told that years of physical demands had left his hip severely damaged.
“Basically I am bone on bone from years of overuse,” he said. “The physios and doctors have said to me, particularly this season, ‘Have you had a problem with your hip before?’ And I was like, ‘No.’ They were like, ‘Are you sure? Because you are basically bone on bone, there is no cartilage there, that is why you are getting so much pain.’”
The injury eventually kept Young out of training for two to three months. When he returned to the specialist, he was advised against receiving another injection because of concerns that it could further weaken the affected area.
Despite the medical advice, Young remained determined to finish his career on his own terms.
“From January to the end of the season, I literally had two or three months where I couldn’t train it was that painful,” he said. “I saw the specialist again and said, ‘I’m not going out like this.’ He said he didn’t want to give me another injection as it would weaken the area.”
Young also revealed that he questioned the specialist about whether his playing career was effectively over. He made it clear, however, that he would take any opportunity to return to the pitch.
“I asked him, ‘Are you telling me I can’t play football again? You can say it if you want. Trust me, if I get an opportunity to be back on the pitch, I’ll be back on the pitch,’” Young recalled.
Although doctors believed he should not have been training, Young pushed through the final weeks of the season and made himself available for the closing matches.
He ultimately managed to travel with the team and be involved as they secured promotion on the final day of the campaign.
“Medically I don’t think I should have been out on the pitch but I made sure I was available for the last three games of the season,” Young said.
For Young, finishing his career alongside his teammates and celebrating promotion provided a fitting conclusion despite the physical struggles he had endured.
“It would have been incredible to come onto the pitch for the last game of the season but for me to train like I did that week and for us to be promoted on the last day of the season, it was fitting.”
Young’s revelation highlights the physical toll of a career that spanned more than two decades. Having played at the highest level for much of his career, including a successful spell at Manchester United, he now faces major surgery as he begins life after professional football.
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