It is no secret that former England international Luke Young was keen on a move to West Ham United during the 2006/07 campaign, particularly once Alan Curbishley replaced Alan Pardew in the Upton Park dugout.
Despite guiding the Hammers to promotion, a top-half finish and an FA Cup final, Pardew was let go by Icelandic owner Eggert Magnusson in December 2006.
His replacement was a manager Luke Young knew very well indeed.
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Young was signed from Tottenham by Alan Curbishley during his long spell in charge of Charlton Athletic at the turn of the Century. A failed medical would prevent Young reuniting with Curbishley at West Ham United half a decade later, though.
Now, speaking opposite Carlton Cole for West Ham’s official YouTube channel, Curbishley selected the seven-cap England right-back in a dream XI of former players and teammates.
Alan Curbishley reflects on former West Ham United target Luke Young
Chosen alongside legends such as Billy Bonds, Peter Withe, Trevor Brooking and Carlos Tevez, this is quite the compliment.
“I’m going for Luke Young,” Curbishley said. “I signed him from Spurs as a youngster. He did fantastically well, ended up moving on, and played for England.”
When he says ‘moving on’, Curbishley means to Middlesbrough and then Aston Villa.
While West Ham were spooked by what they felt was a problem with Young’s hip, flagged up during medical tests ahead of that aborted move to East London, Boro took a £2.5 million punt on the Harlow-born defender a year later.
“I look back, you know, you look back at some players and you look at his attributes; it was pace, it was power, and he could tackle,” Curbishley adds.
“The only thing is, we had a thing at the time where we wanted to show people inside, and he didn’t like it. Because he was quick, he wanted to show them down the line, and we had to convince him that was what we were doing; ‘Youngy, we’re doing that or you’re not playing!’
“Anyway, no, he was a good lad and had a great career.
“I remember when I first came in [at Charlton], he was ‘Mr. Consistent.’ I would say he always gave a level of performance that was very… as I say, if he had a quick winger, they weren’t going to get past him. He was a good defender.”
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A failed medical ruined Young’s chances of a move to Upton Park
West Ham would end up signing Tyrone Mears in a £1.5 million deal from Preston North End after their pursuit of Young faltered.
Now 46, Young later spent a few seasons at Aston Villa before winding down his career at Queens Park Rangers.
“Alan Curbishley had resigned from Charlton, and I just felt like it was probably a good time [to leave],” Young said on the More Than A Name podcast back in November. “I had spent six years there, and probably needed something fresh.
“West Ham had come in for me. Alan Pardew told me what he wanted from me. I went there to do the medical thinking the ankle might show up because I’d had an ankle injury, but [I wasn’t] worried about too much, to be honest with you.
“Then I get a phone call to say I failed the medical. I think they decided there was maybe issues with the hip that they could see in the scan, which they felt might come back to haunt them regarding the monetary value of the deal.
“‘They are buying me for X amount, my deal is worth X amount, there look like there’s a little issue with his hip. Do we want to take the risk?’ I think they decided not to.
“My only real problem with the whole thing was that Alan Curbishley never called me up to say, ‘Really sorry that we haven’t gone ahead with it, these were the reasons why, and I hope you understand that’.
“I never even received a phone call.”
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