He was a strong, commanding centre-half, nicknamed "Ninja" due to his ever-present brown headband, which he wore during matches to protect scar tissue on his forehead.
He became a fan favourite at Wimbledon and formed a formidable central defensive partnership with Andy Thorn, playing in the club's famous victory over Liverpool in the 1988 FA Cup final.
At Palace he continued his consistently reliable form, and the club had already signed Thorn in 1989 which meant the resumption of their defensive partnership that had proved so successful at Wimbledon.
Young was a mainstay in the team that finished third in the old first division (now the Premier League) and kept his place in the side until a falling out with manager Alan Smith at the beginning of the 1994–95 season saw him dropped until the final five matches of that campaign.
He made his international début for Wales, aged 30, versus Costa Rica in a friendly game at Ninian Park in 1990, alongside fellow débutantes Gary Speed and Paul Bodin.