Ashley Young
Villa old boy Ashley Young has set a new Premier League goals record playing for Everton
Ashley Young has made Premier League history by becoming the oldest player to score from a free-kick, the former Aston Villa man netting for Everton against Wolves on Wednesday night.
Young's goal at Goodison Park came when he was 39 years and 148 days old, putting him fourth on the all-time list of goalscorers and shoving Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs, a former teammate of Young's, down to fifth.
The free-kick goal record had been held for more than two decades by Nottingham Forest legend Stuart Pearce, although he set it while a West Ham player, netting from a set-piece against Arsenal in October 2000, aged 38 years and 180 days.
Despite his age, Young continues to be a regular starter for Everton since transferring from Aston Villa, where he wqas in his second spell with the Birmingham club.
If he decides to play for another season, he could potentially break the all-time scoring record. The next player he has in his sights is Thiago Silva, who recently left Chelsea.
Silva was 39 years and 198 days old when he scored for the Blues against Sheffield United in April this year. Dean Windass and Teddy Sheringham are also ahead of Young, with Sheringham holding the record as the oldest Premier League scorer for nearly two decades, reports the Mirror.
He was playing for West Ham when he set the record, scoring against Portsmouth in 2006 at the age of 40 years and 268 days - making him the only Premier League scorer past his 40th birthday.
Young has already declared he's not ready to hang up his boots just yet, instead looking forward to potentially facing his son, Tyler, who is making waves at Peterborough. The two could meet on the pitch in an FA Cup third-round tie next month.
Speaking about his enduring career and future in the game, Young said: "I'm just taking every season as it comes until my body tells me that I can't do it anymore. Then I think that's the day when I'll hang up my boots. But it could be a few years yet for me as I'm still feeling as fit as I have done in years."
Young made 53 Premier League appearances in his second Villa spell after re-signing for the club in 2021. He had originally left for Manchester United in a £17m deal in 2011, playing 157 games and scoring 30 goals after arriving at Villa Park from Watford in 2007.
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