Manchester City and Manchester United are age-old rivals and it is considered a cardinal sin for a player to play for both clubs.
Carlos Tevez’s move to the Etihad Stadium from Old Trafford in 2009 is the best example of how controversial it is considered to move from United to City or vice-versa.
Gary Neville discussed Tevez’s move to Manchester City by admitting that the transfer “annoyed” him.
Manchester United players were stunned by Tevez’s exit to Roberto Mancini’s side themselves but such is the nature of the enmity between the local rivals.
Ashley Young admits he met Man City before signing for Manchester United
Ashley Young has now told Sky Sports that he had a meeting with Manchester City before joining Manchester United in 2011.
The former Inter Milan star revealed that once United entered the fray to sign him, his mind was instantly made up about moving to the red side of Manchester to play for Sir Alex Ferguson.
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Young revealed: “There was actually a meeting that was had and I met Manchester City before I’d even met the boss. And I’d sat down with them and I wouldn’t say I was close to signing because as soon as I’d heard of Manchester United wanting to sign me as well, I was like, this is a no-brainer. I want to go to the biggest club in the world.”
"It was a no brainer, I wanted to go to the biggest club in the world" 🔴
Ashley Young had no doubts he wanted to sign for Manchester United, even with interest from the likes of Manchester City and a chat with Steven Gerrard at Liverpool 👀 pic.twitter.com/hABmyXUY01
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) July 14, 2025
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“I even had a phone call from Steven Gerrard and Stevie had said to me, ‘Oh you’re leaving Villa…Liverpool.’ And I was like, it was too late, I had already said to Manchester United that I was going to sign there.”
“I wouldn’t say I turned down Stevie G…I’d accepted Man United already.”
Ashley Young’s record vs Man City
Whether Young remains content with his decision to sign for Manchester United remains a mystery considering Manchester City went on to dominate English football during the 2010s and in the 2020s.
The Englishman won one Premier League title from 2011 to 2020, a period when City lifted four in comparison.
During his career, Young played against Manchester City 28 times for Manchester United, Everton and Aston Villa.
Ashley Young, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Ben Godfrey and Jeremy Doku in action during Manchester City vs Everton
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
Young lost 15 out of 28 matches against the Sky Blues while drawing five and winning eight games.
However, the Serie A winner registered one goal and six assists against City.