Ashley Young is hopeful that Town can maintain their impressive league form as they return to Championship action against Blackburn Rovers this weekend.

Prior to a break in the season for last Saturday’s FA Cup third round tie against Blackpool, the Blues had earned 10 points from their four league matches over the festive period which briefly lifted them into second place.

Kieran McKenna’s side are currently third in the Championship, two points behind Middlesbrough in the automatic promotion places, although Town do hold a game in hand over the Teessiders.

That is because the Blues’ final festive fixture at Portsmouth on January 4th was postponed less than four hours before kick-off due to a frozen pitch at Fratton Park, which veteran defender Young says was frustrating.

“Especially when we travelled down there,” he said. “Of course you’re disappointed, when you’re on a good run, you just want to keep adding to that.

“It happens, the weather in England is crazy at times. You’ve just got to pick yourself up and get back to training and get back to working on the training pitch and be ready for the games that are coming up thick and fast.

“We were on a good run. Things have really picked up and you just want the games to come as quickly as possible, probably not as quick as they did come over the Christmas period, but it’s one of those things where you’ve been wanting to play games more so than having long breaks in between.

“We’ve been delighted with how things have gone, and around the Christmas and New Year period, it’s important to pick up wins and points, especially when you’re going into the new year. We’ve done that and we just want to keep this run going now.”

Among the Blues’ victories during that busy spell was a formidable 2-0 victory at league-leaders Coventry City, who are now only eight points ahead of the Suffolk side, having played a game more.

It was the second time that Town got the better of Frank Lampard’s Sky Blues in little more than three weeks, and was widely seen as the best result of the season so far.

Young refused to compare it to other victories, though, instead claiming that the performance in the West Midlands had been brewing for a number of weeks.

“I think it was just another really good away performance,” he said. “A lot clicked that day. I’ve said it before that it’s been coming, there were games where we haven’t played that well and got points and days where we’ve played well and not got points.

“That was a really accomplished away performance and justified by getting the three points. We even had other chances to score as well so it could have been a different scoreline. That day was a very good day and hopefully we can keep building on those days.

“I’ve got the belief in everyone in the squad. Players and the staff as well, everyone surrounding the club. We want to keep on the track that we’re on at the minute.

“I did say that they were catchable, but we’ve got to worry about ourselves. We only worry about what we’re doing and not what any other team’s doing. We’ve played them twice now and we’ve beaten them twice as well.

“We know that we want to be the team that’s looking down on other teams, but at the minute we’re the ones playing catch-up. We’re the ones that want to keep putting in performances and getting points in the way that we have to keep pushing ourselves up the league.”

While Young has struggled to nail down a starting place at right-back ahead of Darnell Furlong, he has been handed minutes by McKenna in midfield during recent matches.

With a playing career spanning more than 23 years since breaking through at Watford as a teenager, the former England international is not averse to playing in various positions across the pitch.

Asked whether his midfield exploits might become more frequent, he said: “You’ll have to talk to the manager about that. I’ve always said that I’m a versatile player and that players nowadays have got to be versatile with different formations that managers choose.

“Of course, I prefer being up the pitch whether that’s in the centre of midfield, out on the wing or wherever. There’s only one position I’ve not played in and that’s goalkeeper and I can’t see myself playing there anytime soon.

“Wherever the manager wants to play me, whether that’s midfield, at the back or higher up, I’ll always go out to give 100 per cent for this club and do as best as I can.

“I’d love to go back to playing as a number 10. I remember playing there or just having the freedom as a winger when I was at Aston Villa, being a winger and being told you’ve got the freedom to roam around all the different positions.

“I think that was the case because I didn’t have to go backwards and defend, that was the reason why I liked it so much. Wherever the manager was to say you’re going to go and play.

“Could I pick? I’m 40 years old, I don’t need to pick. As long as I’m on the pitch and on the team sheet, that’s all that matters.”

Young is now approaching the final few months of his contract at Town, having signed a one-year deal after leaving Everton on a free transfer in July last year.

He insisted that a decision on what happens beyond the summer has not yet been made.

“I always get a buzz out of matchdays,” he admitted. “I’ve always said that if I didn’t get the buzz out of matchdays or training then I would have retired. It’s either that or my body is talking to me and saying you can’t do it anymore, and it’s starting to talk to me now!

“Football for me has been my life and it’s been my career. Until the day that I'm not able to do it is the day where I won’t get the buzz on a matchday, but I’ll always get that buzz on a matchday.

“I’m only looking as far as tomorrow. If I play, which is obviously down to the manager, I’ll go out there and give as best as I can and give 100 per cent always. I’ll fight for this club as much as I can.

“Whether it will be at the end of this season, whether I continue playing, I don’t know, who knows. You’ll have to wait and see.”

Photo: TWTD