Young states European aim

Winger relishing free role

Last updated: 19th April 2008

ashley young aston villa

Young: Relishing role

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Ashley Young is enjoying his current roving role in the Aston Villa side as he aims to steer the club into Europe.

The talented youngster has recently been freed from playing on the left-wing to cause a threat to opponents as he sees fit.

He has set his sights on European qualification and wants to finish off the season strongly.

Villa now have huge incentive as they can draw level on points with fifth-placed Everton if they win their game in hand against Birmingham on Sunday and beat the Toffees at Goodison Park on 27th April.

Target

Young said: "Is Europe back on the horizon? Yes, of course, but in fairness we've never put that target to the back of our minds.

"Other people might have written our chances off but we've never said it was out of our sights. Now we want to finish off the league strongly and win all of the remaining games.

"We have wanted to get into Europe from the very start of the season and we've managed to maintain a challenge even when we hit a bit of a sticky patch.

"We will take each game as it comes and come the end of the season, hopefully we will be in a European position."

Delighted

Talking of his roving role, Young added: "The manager said to me, 'Just go and drift, play on the right, play on the left, just pop up wherever and get the ball' and I have been delighted to be playing in that role.

"I played there pre-season against Internazionale. This time it came about just before the Bolton game a couple of weeks ago.

"I do love playing that role but, for me, it is all about the team at the end of the day. I just want to go out and do what I do best, get on the ball, get in space and be a threat to the other team.

"But I'll play wherever the manager wants and more important is that we have got back to winning ways in the last couple of games, especially after the struggle we had."