Introduction
Kadan Christophe Young (born 19 January 2006) is an English footballer who plays as a winger for Aston Villa.
Club career
Having started out with local club Phoenix United in Erdington, Young trialled with a host of professional sides before eventually joining Premier League side Aston Villa at under-13 level. He went on to sign a scholarship deal with the club in July 2022, and during the mid-season break for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, he was a surprise inclusion in Aston Villa's squad for a warm-weather training camp in December of the same year. Prior to the squad flying to Dubai for the training camp, he featured in a friendly against Cardiff City - his unofficial first team debut.
While on the tour, he continued to feature in friendlies, playing ten minutes at the end of a 2–2 draw against Brighton & Hove Albion before being brought on as a half-time substitute for Arjan Raikhy against Chelsea. Playing on the right wing, he impressed against Chelsea's full-back, Marc Cucurella, earning plaudits for his performance in a 1–0 win. Following the conclusion of the warm-weather camp, he signed his first professional contract with the club in January 2023.
International career
Young has represented England at both under-16 and under-17 level. He was called up for the 2023 UEFA European Under-17 Championship, and scored the fourth goal in England's 4–2 win over Switzerland to clinch qualification to the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup.