Former Manchester United defender Phil Jones has announced his retirement from football at the age of 32.
It is a sad ending to a career that promised so much in the early years, with Sir Alex Ferguson famously once predicting that “arguably the way he is looking, could be our best-ever player.”
That now seems like one of the worst predictions the great man ever made, but the truth is that nobody knows what could have been had the former Blackburn man been able to avoid injury.
The problems started when Jones was still at Blackburn, when a cruciate ligament injury kept him out for 15 games.
His first season at United, 2011/12, was relatively trouble free but then a trend started that worsened until a knee injury in 2019/20 effectively ended his career.
He only played 13 games after that before joining United’s Under 14’s and U18’s coaching team in 2023/24.
Speaking to The BBC, Jones said “My career finished shorter than I would have liked.
“[I’m] glass half full. [I have] completed my A license and I want to get out there and challenge myself in coaching.
“Ultimately I want to take charge of a team. I am determined to get there.”
“I did everything I could but with so many rehabs I was coming back from, it has an effect on you and your family.”
Jones made 229 appearances for United, winning the Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup and Europa League.
The Peoples Person wish Jonesy all the best for the future. He always gave 100% every time he pulled on the shirt and deserved a longer and less troubled career than he was given.
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