The 40-year-old, who recently announced his decision to retire from professional football, made the revelation during an appearance on the High Performance Podcast.
Young disclosed that his hip problem became so severe that he was unable to train for about three months during the final stages of the season.
The former England international said he initially relied on injections to manage the pain but eventually realised that the severity of the problem meant surgery was necessary.
"I went down on my hip in November and had an injection. I have always said to myself, 'If my body is saying you need injections, there is a problem, you need to think about retiring'," Young said.
He explained that doctors initially told him he might not require a hip replacement for another decade, but his condition deteriorated rapidly.
"Basically I need a hip replacement. In November I was told I would need it in about 10 years' time. I got to January and was due to have another injection which would have got me through to the end of the season," he said.
Young said he subsequently suffered another injury during training shortly before receiving the planned injection, leaving him in considerably more pain.
According to the veteran footballer, medical examinations showed that he was "bone on bone" as a result of years of overuse, with virtually no cartilage remaining in the affected area.
"Basically I am bone on bone from years of overuse. The physios and doctors have said to me, particularly this season, 'Have you had a problem with your hip before?' and I was like, 'No'. They were like, 'Are you sure because you are basically bone on bone, there is no cartilage there, that is why you are getting so much pain'," he recalled.
Young revealed that the pain prevented him from training regularly from January until the latter stages of the season.
"From January to the end of the season, I literally had two or three months where I couldn't train it was that painful," he said.
After consulting a specialist again, Young was advised against receiving another injection because it could weaken the affected area.
Despite the medical concerns, the experienced defender remained determined to return to the pitch if given the opportunity.
"I asked him, 'Are you telling me I can't play football again?' You can say it if you want, trust me if I get an opportunity to be back on the pitch, I'll be back on the pitch," he said.
Young eventually returned to training during the final two months of the campaign, despite being warned that he should not have been doing so medically.
He made himself available for the final three matches of the season and travelled with his teammates throughout the closing stages.
Reflecting on the end of his career, Young said helping his team secure promotion on the final day of the season provided a fitting conclusion to his playing days.
"It would have been incredible to come onto the pitch for the last game of the season but for me to train like I did that week and for us to be promoted on the last day of the season, it was fitting," he added.
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