Luke Young (footballer born 1979)

Luke Young as a player at Aston Villa (2008)

Luke Paul Young ( born July 19, 1979 in Harlow, Essex ) is an English footballer. Mostly used as a right-back, he was initially active in London for Tottenham Hotspur and later for many years for Charlton Athletic until shortly after their relegation in the Premier League. Following a short stay at FC Middlesbrough seven-time British A-National player is since the beginning of the season 2011/12 at the Queens Park Rangers in London under contract. He comes from a football family affinity, with especially his older brother Neil is to be mentioned as a former professional AFC Bournemouth.

Professional career

In the club

Tottenham Hotspur (1997-2001)

Two years after he joined in July 1995 as a " trainee " to the youth department of the London -based in the north first division club Tottenham Hotspur, Young signed his first professional contract. The first competitive match for the A- team of " Spurs " was followed on 28 November 1998 in the Premier League against West Ham United ( 1:2 ) and from then on he was primarily on the left -back position under coach George Graham, thanks to its speed, good edges and yet, despite the young age of comparatively mature and mellow style of play to a total of 22 duty stakes. This included two games in the League Cup, including a semi-final against FC Substitutes in Wimbledon (1-0 ), but not the ultimately victorious final against Leicester City (1-0 ).

More leaps remained in the following two years, however, despite the obvious talent and the fact that Young regularly asserted in the English U -21, from. In 20 league operations in the 1999/2000 season he was only eleven times in the starting lineup and another unlucky first came in September 1999 in the form of an ankle injury and then a broken bone in the foot added. Against the background of enforced breaks from two and a half months, the 23 League Appearances voted but still positive and for more confidence caused the departure of Sol Campbell, who thus made ​​his place in defense -free. Nevertheless, Young finally changed in the summer of 2001 for a transfer fee of four million pounds to league rivals and city rivals Charlton Athletic.

Charlton Athletic (2001-2007)

In the " Addicks " as the players of the club are called from the south-east London, Young was once an integral part in the team. He acted depending on preferred by coach Alan Curbishley system as a classic full-back in the back four or in the offensive variant as a " Wingback " in a 3 -5- 2 system. Striking addition to its strengths in the tackle and at edges in the penalty box was the ability with long throw-ins to cause a hazard, which was an effective way especially in the second half of the season 2001 /02. To this end, he helped temporarily out as a central defender and has held this position in the last three games of the season 2002/ 03. In October 2003, Young injured in the 1-0 win against Blackburn Rovers at the ankle and fell out for three months before it as a substitute reconquered the right-back post after a few games.

Another performance boost followed in the season 2004/05. In his 100th competitive match, he scored against Aston Villa ( 3-0) his first goal for Charlton Athletic and three weeks later he left the next goal to follow. In the end, it chose the own supporters as the "best player " ( " Charlton Athletic Fans ' Player of the Year" ) and as further reward the English national team for the summer tour in 2005 invited him to the USA. Young took over for the subsequent season 2005/ 06 the captaincy and up to a further ankle injury in April 2006, he was " ever present " at the Addicks.

The now an international player ripened Young offered towards the end of the season 2005/ 06 the desire for a change. To be able to take a transfer to West Ham United for 3.8 million pounds, including the views of the UEFA Cup already seemed to take shape before he changed his mind after talking with Charlton's new coach Iain Dowie and finally signed a new four-year contract - other media however, claimed that he had simply the medical test at West Ham United failed .. That Youngs commitment to Charlton Athletic did not last long, announced the already turbulent season 2006 /07, in which the association with Iain Dowie, Les Reed and Alan Pardew the coaching job often newly appointed and descent into second-rate at the end of the penultimate place.

Middlesbrough FC (2007-2008)

Of the prospective Aston Villa, Bolton Wanderers, Newcastle United and Middlesbrough FC went " Boro " emerged as the winner and for a transfer fee of £ 2.5 million signing Young in July 2007 where a four-year contract. He made his debut on 26 August 2007 in the match against Newcastle United for his new club, established himself at once in the root formation and completed in the 2007/08 season 42 Official matches.

Aston Villa (2008-2011)

Despite the current contract Middlesbrough FC took in August 2008, a true transfer offer of League rivals Aston Villa. The " smart money " was five million pounds and was twice as high as that only a year earlier spent from Middlesbrough FC sum. For the "Villans " Young took part in the 2008/ 09 season during the injury of Wilfred Bouma ostensibly on the left side and came back in 34 Premier League matches are used. That the subsequent season 2009/10 was under an unlucky star, then first lay in a personal blow founded, as Young's performance of the accidental death of his half brother were overshadowed and he was also the on the right -back posts of signing Habib Beye and especially from where middle repurposed Carlos Cuéllar was ousted. A subsequent attempt by Liverpool FC in relation to a possible change nonetheless failed because Young speculated in Liverpool to serve only as a " hedge ". Instead, Young remained in Birmingham and came in the 2010/11 season in 23 league games for the course.

Queens Park Rangers ( since 2011 )

27 August 2011 it was announced that Young switches to Neuaufsteiger Queens Park Rangers. With the Rangers, he signed a three-year contract.

England national team

Young was in his early years part of the English U- 21 team and was available to them in the squad for U-21 European Championship in Slovakia. Towards the end of the season 2004/ 05 he received a first appointment to the senior team and his debut came on 28 May 2005, when he came 14 minutes in a friendly game against the United States for the course. His first 90-minute operation took place on September 3, 2005 during the 2006 World Cup qualifying match against Wales instead, which England won 1-0. Also, due to persistent injury problems succeeded Young but not the jump in the squad for the World Cup finals tournament. It was only on 21 March 2007 he was nominated Steve McClaren again for the upcoming European Championship qualifiers against Israel and Andorra, this appeal was, however, mainly due to injuries of many regulars.

In November 2009, on the occasion of injury to Glen Johnson and known, thereby, further nomination that Young had declared in February of the same year against the English Football Association announced his retirement from the England team for personal reasons. The seventh international against Argentina ( 3-2 ) four years earlier was thus left his last.

Title / Awards

  • English League Cup ( 1): 1999
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