"I want to win titles and with a manager like that, you want to go out there and fight for him," says new Inter Milan signing Young
Friday 31 January 2020 19:08, UK
Ashley Young has revealed that Antonio Conte tried to sign him at Chelsea before the pair finally linked up at Inter Milan during the January transfer window.
Young says that Conte was "massively important" in his decision to join the Serie A side from Manchester United on an initial six-month loan, with the Italian club holding an option to extend the deal for a further season.
The move brought to an end Young's eight-and-a-half-year spell at Old Trafford, but the full-back has now suggested that stint could have ended earlier if Conte had got his way during his time as Chelsea boss from 2016 to 2018.
"He wanted me a couple of years ago at Chelsea and he's a fantastic manager," Young told Sky in Italy.
"He's won trophies and he's got an ambition to want to achieve things. I want to do that as well, I want to achieve here at Inter.
"I want to win trophies, I want to win titles and with a manager like that, you want to go out there and fight for him."
Young featured regularly for United during the opening months of the season, but made just three Premier League appearances in the final 10 games he was eligible for before departing Old Trafford.
United's summer signing of Aaron Wan-Bissaka limited his opportunities at right-back, while Luke Shaw's return from injury and Brandon Williams' emergence gave Ole Gunnar Solskjaer alternative options on the other side of his defence.
Despite his diminishing game time, United were keen to keep Young as an experienced member of their youthful squad, but the 34-year-old was eager for playing opportunities.
"I had the opportunity to come and play regular football," Young said. "
"I wasn't doing that at Manchester United and I said to the club and the manager that I wanted to go and experience a new chapter in my career. Obviously playing abroad, I've never done that.
"To come and play regularly for me was the main thing and that's what the club had said, that I'd be involved regularly, so I didn't want to wait until the summer, I wanted to go and play football and that was the opportunity given to me in January."
Young made his Serie A debut last weekend, claiming an assist in a 1-1 draw with Cagliari, which left Inter trailing Juventus by three points at the top of the table.
