I played against Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, but the unlikely Manchester United player was my toughest opponent.
Ashley Young has tested herself against some of world football's all-time greats in a career spanning 21 years.
A successful nine-year period in manchester united It preceded a spell at Serie A giant Inter, where he lifted the Scudetto in his only season at the club.
Having amassed an impressive 453 Premier League appearances with a further 33 in the Champions League along with a Europa League winner's medal, Young's list of fixtures is as impressive as his enduring career.
Of Lionel Messi to Cristiano Ronaldo with a pinch of Gareth Bale and Sergio Agüero, the young man has faced the most feared stars on the planet.
Therefore, it may surprise many when Young recently revealed who his toughest opponent is during an exclusive interview with talkSPORT.com.
“He would be someone people would have forgotten about,” Young said. “When I was a winger, I always said the toughest opponent I've ever faced is Wes Brown.”
“You know when you talk about walking past someone and getting change from them? I didn't get anything out of it. I never could get over it. It's no big deal.
“When I went further back and played as a winger or winger, I played against a lot of different wingers.
“But for me, in my head, I'm a winger, so the toughest opponents have been the defenders. And the toughest was Wes Brown.”
The pair almost became teammates at Manchester United in the summer of 2011, when Young made a £17 million move from Aston Villa.
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However, Brown's time at Old Trafford was over and as Young walked through the doors of Carrington, Brown headed to Sunderland.
Young made a respectable 261 appearances during his time at Manchester United, scoring 19 goals and providing 35 assists.
He was highly successful in national honors with the Red Devils winning the Premier League title in Sir Alex Ferguson's final season at the club before winning the FA Cup, League Cup and Community Shield along with triumph of the Europa League 2017.
The 38-year-old is currently plying his trade at Goodison Park having signed for Everton in 2023.
His contract is set to expire at the end of the month, but a new deal could be in the works with Young man eager to continue playing at the highest level.
