Town defender Ashley Young has not ruled out extending his playing career beyond the end of the season.

Having considered retirement in recent years, Young opted to join the Blues in the summer on a one-year deal following the expiry of his contract at Premier League side Everton, for whom he made 36 appearances in all competitions last season.

Now aged 40, Young is the oldest outfield player in the top four divisions of English football and is in his 23rd season as a full-time professional.

Despite this, the former 39-cap England international insists he still has the same passion for the game as he did in his younger days.

“I’ve always said that until my body starts talking to me and says you need to stop, I’ll give everything that I possibly can,” he said. “The way you look after yourself is important, especially the last 10 to 15 years I’ve done that more and more.

“Age does start to creep up on you and at times I wake up and feel my body creaking, but I know that as soon as I'm ready I'm out there giving 100 per cent and that’s day in, day out.

“If I didn’t love football as well, I wouldn’t still be in it. I got to the summer and spoke to the manager. Towards the end of last season, I was thinking this could be my last.

“Starting 19 times last season made me think maybe there is another season in me. I started 19 games in the Premier League and I don’t feel like I'm slowing down.

“I’ve always said that age is just a number. I don’t know how much longer I'm going to go on for, but as long as my body can do it, I’ll carry on as long as possible.

“I have said it’s definitely the last season, but that could change because I think I’ve said this is the last season for the last five years. Let’s watch this space.”

Blues boss Kieran McKenna has built a squad with strength in depth across all positions on the pitch, with stiff competition for places among Town’s first-team playing group.

That includes at right-back, where Young has found minutes more difficult to come by as a result of McKenna’s preference to utilise Darnell Furlong as first choice.

While admitting he would like to contribute on the pitch more often than he has been, Young understands the difficult task that the manager has in selecting his best possible starting XI.

He said: “The feeling is for every player in the squad, everyone wants to play. As a manager, they’ve got the toughest job ever to try and keep the whole squad happy.

“I don’t think you’ll have a player who will turn around and say they don’t want to play. I’ve been a player that’s played in teams and been a player that’s not played, but whenever called upon, I'm always going to be ready.

“Of course, you want to play more games throughout the season and I'm one of them, but it’s down to the manager. He’s got the toughest job and the toughest decisions to make.

“You’ve just got to be ready as a player. Whenever I’ve played so far, I’ve shown that I'm always ready. Whatever game it is, I’m always going to be ready.

“When you get to my age, you start getting used to playing game after game after game. Whether that be in the Premier League or playing in Europe, I’ve been through it all and I started in the Championship.

“I know what midweek games, weekend games, midweek games are like. You just have to know which way to recover, and sports science now are key to that.

"Adjusting to it, I wouldn’t say I’ve had to adjust to it because I’ve been around long enough to know how games come around think and fast, and preparing yourself for the next games coming up.

“I’ve settled into it straight away, I’ve been welcomed with open arms at Ipswich and I’m loving everything that’s been happening.”

Young is not a stranger to scoring goals, having netted 49 times in the Premier League for four different clubs, but he is yet to score in the blue of Ipswich.

“The most important thing for me is getting three points,” he said on his wait for a goal for Town.

“Of course, it would be lovely to get on the scoresheet. I don’t get on the scoresheet as much as when I was further up the pitch now because I’ve been brought further back.

“Everyone in the squad can chip in with the goals. It’s one of those things, of course it’s nice to get on the scoresheet but for me getting the three points is more important.”

On his adjustment into a deeper role later in his career, he added: “If you’ve got a good footballing brain, you’re able to do that. Nowadays more managers will play different formations and different shapes so you’ve got to be able to play in numerous positions.

“I was able to transition into that, I went as a wing-back and as a right-back. There’s probably only one position on the pitch that I haven’t played in goal. If you’ve seen me in training, I can be a goalkeeper, definitely!

“You’ve got to transition, especially in this team as well. We play with full-backs that like to go high and get on the ball. You’ve got to have confidence in yourself to go one-v-one and to play in tight spaces, it’s what we’re about.

“I’ve got confidence in my ability, and wherever the manager wants to pick me and play me, I’ll go out and give 100 per cent and give everything I can to this club.”

When Young does choose to retire, there is one career path that he will definitely not go down.

The former Manchester United man has enjoyed dipping into some punditry recently, but going into coaching or management is not something that he has any desire to pursue.

Immediately shooting down the idea, he said: “No way. It’s something that I can be open and honest with, it’s just not for me. You’re either set on wanting to be a manager or coach, or you’re not.

“I looked at it a couple of years ago when I thought that could be me, but it’s just not for me. That’s why doing the punditry stuff is much better for me and I enjoy that side more so, as well as being able to enjoy family life as well.

“I know that we’ve got a nice lifestyle, but it also comes with sacrifices. For me, being in football for 24 years, I’ve got kids, a family, a wife. Being able to spend more time with them and having the punditry side of things, at times you get to pick and choose that.

"Whereas the managerial side of things, you’re doing hours longer than you are as a player. That’s one of the things where it puts a downer on it for me. There’s other things that are there, it’s just not for me.”

Photo: TWTD