Former Manchester United star ‘proud’ after son makes professional debut

Ashley Young’s son, Tyler Young, made his debut for Peterborough United in a 2-0 EFL Trophy win over Stevenage this week.

The 18-year-old was introduced as a substitute in the first half hour and gave a good account of himself on the pitch, leaving his dad and former Manchester United star feeling proud.

Tyler joined Peterborough in the summer following a release from Arsenal’s academy, where he had developed his game for much of his youth career.

Arsenal’s academy took a hit in the summer when teenage star Chido Obi-Martin refused a new deal before leaving to sign for United. It was a huge coup by the Reds and it’s one the club will hope comes back to bite Arsenal in the future.

Speaking after the game on Tuesday night, which saw him nominated for the Man of the Match award, Tyler told the Posh Plus service (via Peterborough Today): “It was a great experience. I didn’t expect to get so many minutes. I thought I might get 10/15 but when the gaffer [Darren Ferguson] told me I was going on I made sure I was ready. It was my professional debut which is a big thing, but it really just felt like a normal game of football to me.

“Archie Collins and Manny Fernandez talked me through the game which was a big help. They made me feel comfortable and it was good I also had David Kamara and Ollie Rose on the pitch who I play with week in week out and that helped as well. I deal with the pressure by remembering it’s just a game of football. The Trophy is a good competition for young players.”

Ashley Young proud of son

After Tyler made his debut for Peterborough, his father took to social media to share a series of pictures with the caption:

“Proud doesn’t even begin to explain this moment for you. Congrats on your debut Son and hopefully many many more to come,” Young wrote via Instagram.

It’s an incredible moment for the Young family.

Ashley enjoyed a nine-year stint at United before leaving to join Serie A giants Inter Milan. He made 261 appearances, scoring 19 goals and providing 35 assists.