Everton have confirmed that Ashley Young will leave the club upon his contract expiring at the end of the season.
Backup goalkeepers Asmir Begovic and Joao Virginia, whose deals are also up this summer, will also depart.
Young, 39, joined Everton in July 2023 and has appeared 68 times for the club, scoring twice. His near-22-year professional career has seen him have spells with Watford, Aston Villa, Manchester United and Inter. He is 18th on the Premier League’s all-time appearance list with 483 games.
He won the Premier League with United in 2013 and Serie A with Inter in 2021.
A former England international, Young was capped by the national side 39 times between 2007 and 2018.
“Since my return to the club, I’ve seen what a great professional Ash is and know the leadership qualities he has brought to the squad during his time at Everton,” Everton manager David Moyes said of Young. “His versatility, experience and know-how have also been really beneficial to the team and me.
“This is a complicated situation in many respects, with so many players out of contract this summer. It’s important to me to speak with all of those players, individually, to give them clarity on their situations.
“Lots of factors influence our decision-making and we’re currently working through that process with the players, which takes time. Some will have clarity by the end of this week, and for others it may get to next week, but it’s important it’s handled in the right way.”
The news of Young’s departure comes after Moyes confirmed that fellow veteran full-back and club captain Seamus Coleman would remain at the club next season.
Goalkeeper Begovic returned to Everton last summer, having had a stint with the club between 2021 and 2023 and making 10 appearances across both spells. The 37-year-old has built up a wealth of experience playing England, appearing for the likes of Stoke City, Chelsea, Bournemouth and Queens Park Rangers.
Virginia, 25, joined the team from Arsenal in 2018. The former Portugal youth international has appeared five times for the club.
Everton also have five players out on loan currently, with Moyes adding that the club will “let them know their situations in due course”.
Everton host Southampton in the final Premier League fixture at Goodison Park on Sunday.
(Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)