---
title: "Aston Villa: Fans react to Ashley Young reveal"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/villa-ashley-young-no-10-gerrard-gregg-evans/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "David Comerford"
section: "Aston Villa"
published: "2021-11-23T11:36:18Z"
modified: "2021-11-23T11:36:18Z"
---

# Aston Villa: Fans react to Ashley Young reveal

**Steven Gerrard nearly selected Ashley Young as a number 10 for his first game in charge at Aston Villa, [The Athletic](https://theathletic.com/2967859/2021/11/21/gerrard-tightens-up-defence-sparks-villa-into-life-drive-touchline/)‘s Gregg Evans has revealed.**

The 36-year-old had apparently impressed the new boss in the Bodymoor Heath training sessions leading up to the clash with Brighton.

Gerrard considered rewarding him with a start in the attacking midfield role, but ended up [selecting](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/spielbericht/index/spielbericht/3592031) Jacob Ramsey, Marvelous Nakamba and John McGinn as a trio instead. Emiliano Buendia slotted in on the right wing.

### Could Young get more minutes in an unfamiliar role?

Young has made [seven Premier League appearances](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/ashley-young/leistungsdaten/spieler/14086/plus/0?saison=2021) since he returned to the club in the summer, [three of them starts](https://www.whoscored.com/Players/8166/Show/Ashley-Young).

Deploying him as a number 10 would certainly have raised eyebrows, given that over the course of his [628-game](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/ashley-young/leistungsdatenverein/spieler/14086) senior career, the 36-year-old has only played in that role [four times](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/ashley-young/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/14086/saison/ges/pos/10), each of those coming as far back as the 2010/11 season.

Nevertheless, Young will hope to make himself impossible to overlook for the trip to Crystal Palace next Saturday.

Fan feed [Villa Report](https://twitter.com/villareport/status/1462768491409428485) relayed Evans’ revelation, and here’s what some supporters made of it, with a largely negative reaction and a couple of responses drawing unflattering comparisons with Steve Bruce, who was [much-maligned](https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/50533622) during his reign as Villa manager.

### These Villa fans baffled by Gerrard’s consideration of Young at number 10

**“Had to check this wasn’t a fake account”**

Credit: [@M10Packed](https://twitter.com/M10Packed/status/1462768684359954432)

**“What in the Steve Bruce is this?”**

Credit: [@lukewoodyy](https://twitter.com/lukewoodyy/status/1462768560116224019)

**“Good lord, Stevie G or Steve Bruce?”**

Credit: [@billazor](https://twitter.com/billazor/status/1462770072766730245)

**“Blimey”**

Credit: [@douglasluiz](https://twitter.com/DOUGLASLUlZ/status/1462768535319556100)

**“This is not a tweet I thought I would be seeing in 2021”**

Credit: [@WeDoingAVilla](https://twitter.com/WeDoingAVilla/status/1462773530211274763)

**“Bruh no thanks”**

Credit: [@Stefan\_\_19](https://twitter.com/Stefan___19/status/1462768610057900039)

**In other news, [Gerrard’s latest transfer target has emerged](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/aston-villa-transfer-rumours/villa-gerrard-barisic-transfer-target/)**