(Credit: Imago/Getty Images)

Jonathan Burnett

Tue 19 August 2025 12:22, UK

Everton’s lack of defensive depth came back to bite them against Leeds United as Ashley Young continues his career elsewhere.

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David Moyes‘ side lost 1-0 in their Premier League opener at Elland Road with a makeshift defence in front of Jordan Pickford for the Toffees, who had no full-backs to choose from in their matchday squad.

Injuries to regular starters like Jarrad Branthwaite, Vitalii Mykolenko and Nathan Patterson left Moyes with a backline of Jake O’Brien, James Tarkowski, Michael Keane, and James Garner playing at left-back.

Everton signed Bayern Munich left-back Adam Aznou for £7.8million in one of their few signings this summer, but Garner was selected ahead of the new arrival to play his first ever match in that position.

Everton‘s left-back depth took a further hit this summer when Young left Goodison Park upon the expiry of his contract in June, and their thrown-together backline couldn’t prevent a 1-0 defeat to Leeds.

New Everton left-back Adam Aznou didn’t make it into the squad on Monday (Credit: Imago)

Although Everton’s defeat at Elland Road only came after a Lukas Nmecha penalty controversially given against Tarkowski for handball in the 84th minute, their makeshift full-backs failed to add much in attack.

Young’s career is still ongoing at the age of 40 after his departure from Everton, and the full-back’s move to Ipswich Town was confirmed on 23 July to extend it by at least a year with the Championship side.

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The veteran posted on Instagram on Monday with a message to Ipswich fans after his first appearances for the Tractor Boys, featuring against Bromley in the Carabao Cup and Southampton on 17 August.

Everton trio Idrissa Gueye, Beto and Keane all liked Young’s post, which said: “Love being back at work”.

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Football Insider Verdict

Football Insider revealed back in May that Young wasn’t in Moyes’ long-term plans at Everton ahead of his departure at the end of the season, and releasing the then 39-year-old did make sense in this case.

However, the Toffees’ struggles in the transfer market since then have highlighted the qualities brought by Young, particularly his ability to fill in on both the left and right-hand sides of Everton’s defence.

Fellow veteran Seamus Coleman didn’t make it off the bench at Elland Road as O’Brien and Garner struggled in unfamiliar territory, and it’s clear that more depth is needed even when Patterson and Mykolenko make their returns.

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