Aston Villa's contract priority as Steven Gerrard admits 'a lot to discuss'

Steven Gerrard and Aston Villa should prioritise extending Ashley Young's contract as soon as possible, given the wealth of experience and versatility he offers the side.

Young, 36, was signed on a one year deal in the summer to return to Villa Park after spending a season in Italy with Inter Milan. Since then, the player has gone on to prove his worth to the team on several occasions, especially since Gerrard arrived at the club.

Whilst in his first stint in claret and blue in 2007 to 2011, Young could be found cutting in from the wing and electrifying the Villa fans with his pace and creativity, he now finds himself in a very different role in this squad.

His versatility and experience has allowed him to play multiple positions so far this season such as left-back, centre midfielder, winger and right-back. He came on as a substitute for Emi Buendia in Gerrard's first game in charge against Brighton and just ten minutes later threaded a neat pass to Ollie Watkins, who scored the first goal of the new era at Villa Park.

Young was then handed a start in the next match against Crystal Palace as a left winger, following his impact in the previous fixture. His lofted corner in the 15th minute found the feet of Matt Targett, who proceeded to give Villa their lead in the 2-1 win at Selhurst Park in November.

Aside from his goal contributions in the early stages of the new manager's reign, Young's impact on the team has been felt massively in recent weeks. In January the club decided to allow Targett to depart on loan to Newcastle United after the signing of Lucas Digne. The move made sense for both parties given the limited game time he would see after the Frenchman arrived.

However, recently there has been somewhat of a