diff --git a/distributed/worker.py b/distributed/worker.py
index d29c46e296..6b3319545b 100644
--- a/distributed/worker.py
+++ b/distributed/worker.py
@@ -3124,54 +3124,6 @@ def apply_function_simple(
     return msg
 
 
-async def apply_function_async(
-    function,
-    args,
-    kwargs,
-    time_delay,
-):
-    """Run a function, collect information
-
-    Returns
-    -------
-    msg: dictionary with status, result/error, timings, etc..
-    """
-    ident = threading.get_ident()
-    try:
-        with context_meter.meter("thread-noncpu", func=time) as m:
-            result = await function(*args, **kwargs)
-    except (SystemExit, KeyboardInterrupt):
-        # Special-case these, just like asyncio does all over the place. They will pass
-        # through `fail_hard` and `_handle_stimulus_from_task`, and eventually be caught
-        # by special-case logic in asyncio:
-        # https://github.com/python/cpython/blob/v3.9.4/Lib/asyncio/events.py#L81-L82
-        # Any other `BaseException` types would ultimately be ignored by asyncio if
-        # raised here, after messing up the worker state machine along their way.
-        raise
-    except BaseException as e:
-        # NOTE: this includes `CancelledError`! Since it's a user task, that's _not_ a
-        # reason to shut down the worker.
-        # Users _shouldn't_ use `BaseException`s, but if they do, we can assume they
-        # aren't a reason to shut down the whole system (since we allow the
-        # system-shutting-down `SystemExit` and `KeyboardInterrupt` to pass through)
-        msg = error_message(e)
-        msg["op"] = "task-erred"
-        msg["actual-exception"] = e
-    else:
-        msg = {
-            "op": "task-finished",
-            "status": "OK",
-            "result": result,
-            "nbytes": sizeof(result),
-            "type": type(result) if result is not None else None,
-        }
-
-    msg["start"] = m.start + time_delay
-    msg["stop"] = m.stop + time_delay
-    msg["thread"] = ident
-    return msg
-
-
 def apply_function_actor(
     function, args, kwargs, execution_state, key, active_threads, active_threads_lock
 ):