What's Phil Jones doing since leaving Man Utd? | OneFootball

Highlights

Phil Jones signed for Manchester United from Blackburn Rovers in 2011 for a transfer fee of £17 million, with Sir Alex Ferguson having high hopes for the youngster. The Englishman's career didn't go according to plan, although he did have some success in the early years he spent at Old Trafford.

After spending two years in the Blackburn senior squad, Jones had caught the eye of many for his performances at centre-back and in a defensive midfield role. Rovers were a solid Premier League side at the time and to have such a young player emerge from the youth system to make it into the first-team was a big achievement for the club.

At the age of 19, Jones was snapped up by Ferguson with the likes of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic coming towards the twilight years of their respective careers. Chris Smalling had already been brought in the year prior from Fulham, and the youngster looked set to be the centre-back partner of Jones for the foreseeable future. That was the plan at least.

As previously mentioned, the time Jones spent with the club slightly differed from what was expected. With that being said, GIVEMESPORT have decided to take a look at the defender's Manchester United career and where he is now.

Phil Jones' start to life at Old Trafford

The first full season the youngster at the time spent with the Champions of England was a strong one on an individual basis. Jones was involved in 29 Premier League fixtures, perhaps more than would normally be expected of a 19-year-old defender. Ferguson had a lot of trust in the youngster as he gave him game time in the Champions League group stage also.

Unfortunately, United struggled a lot during the group stages of the European competition and were ultimately relegated to the Europa League after finishing third in their group unexpectedly. This gave Jones the experience of yet another competition in his first campaign with the Red Devils.

A defeat against Athletic Bilbao in the Europa League saw United go trophyless - which was very unusual at the time - as Sergio Aguero's famous title-winning goal vs QPR on the final day of the season saw Manchester City de-throne their fierce rivals. While it may have ended with no silverware - excluding the Community Shield - the 2011/12 season was still invaluable for Jones' development and bedding in to the squad.

The following campaign was almost the opposite as some injury issues stopped Jones from amassing as many appearances in the league, but United did wrap up the Premier League title almost at a canter. The Englishman played 17 league games along the way and was able to impress in the fleeting number of games he did feature in.

After United wrapped the 2012/13 title up in fashion with a 3-0 win over Aston Villa at Old Trafford - in which Robin van Persie scored an incredible hat-trick - it was actually Jones that was singled out by his manager for praise. The Scottish boss was almost in awe of the man he had brought to the club only 24 months before.

Speaking after the game, Ferguson said: "We've got some exciting young players, you'll see how [David] De Gea's improved across the season. Outstanding goalkeeper, great save again. You saw Jones tonight, arguably, with the way he's looking, he could be our best ever player."

When considering the talent that has walked through the doors of Old Trafford down the years and for the iconic manager to have said that, must have filled Jones with an extreme level of confidence. With his knowledge and ability to nurture some of the greatest youth players in Manchester United history, fans will have been excited by Ferguson's testimony.

This was the end of the journey for Ferguson at Man United as the greatest ever Premier League manager retired following lifting the league trophy. This is where things started to go wrong for Jones, with his mentor now being gone from the club and a new regime coming in. It is not just an issue with the player either, as the club in general has struggled to recover from the loss of Fergie's influence.

Injury problems de-rail Jones' Man Utd career

David Moyes came in to replace Ferguson and the former Everton manager struggled to live up to the standards left behind by his compatriot. Jones did still feature in a lot of league games throughout the Scot's short-lived reign at the club. The performances of the team had dipped in such dramatic fashion that his own individual performances suffered as a result with United failing to make it into the top four.

The next manager to come in during Jones' time at Old Trafford was Louis van Gaal on the back of a strong World Cup campaign with the Netherlands. Van Gaal came in with big expectations as his reputation on the global stage was massive at the time. Once again, however, the idea was better than the execution when it came to the Dutch boss. His tenure lasted two years with an FA Cup being added to the trophy cabinet, but no real progress in making a mark on the league and Champions League. Jones didn't play a single minute in the FA Cup run during that season with persistent injuries beginning to mount.

Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer didn't get the best out of the English defender during their respective runs in the dugout as more injuries began to pile up for Jones and really limit the number of minutes he could spend on the pitch.

He somewhat disappeared in the eyes of many Manchester United fans as he only played in six Premier League games from the start of the 2019/20 season to the end of the 2022/23 campaign. Jones made none of these appearances under Erik ten Hag - who took over in 2022 - with the Dutch boss favouring many members of the first-team squad ahead of him.

Life after Manchester United for Phil Jones

Jones left Manchester United in 2023 after 12 years with the club upon the expiry of his contract and while no announcement has been made in regard to retirement from the game, he remains a free agent months after leaving Old Trafford. He isn't just sitting back and waiting for an offer, however.

Jones has been putting in work on his coaching badges as he posted on social media: "Great to begin the global football sports directorship course with the PFA business school, learning new things about the game, whilst also continuing to push ahead with my A license and badges at the club that gave me so much. Excited to get started.”

The 31-year-old has been present at United's Carrington training ground to get involved with training sessions with the youth sides. It is great to see the club helping a former player on his journey that looks set to take him into the world of coaching in the future.

All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt.