'My time with Man Utd didn't end how I wanted – but I lived the stuff of dreams'

Phil Jones ‘lived the dream’ as a Manchester United player – he’s now keen to wrestle back the narrative surrounding his career.

The defender spent 12 years at United, firstly under the watchful eye of father figure Sir Alex Ferguson, before seeing the Red Devils’ managerial merry-go-round first-hand.

David Moyes came and went. Louis van Gaal was next. Jose Mourinho followed, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Ralf Rangnick and eventually Erik ten Hag all enduring short and occasionally sweet stints at the club.

One of the very few constants throughout it all… Phil Jones.

“I’m proud of my career, proud of what I did,” the chest-out, grinning Jones gleefully admitted while speaking to Express Sport.

As a winner of six trophies with United, including a Europa League and Premier League title, Jones has every right to look back on his time as a professional with fondness.

When he was breaking through the ranks as a youngster with Blackburn Rovers, Jones had been tipped for greatness, both at club and international level.

While he might’ve failed to live up to the ‘next John Terry’ tag some had unfairly slapped on his shoulders, the Preston-born ace did represent England at three major tournaments, including the Three Lions’ 2018 run to the World Cup semi-finals in Russia.

Having officially retired during the summer, Jones is keen to wrestle back the narrative surrounding his career, insisting that even though some may dub it a failure, he’s achieved everything and more he could’ve wished for.

“I wanted to take the narrative of what I thought I had in my career, he continued. “It was difficult the way it finished, it wasn’t the way I wanted it to end.

“It was difficult with my knee and I struggled for many years with it towards the end and battled right to the end.

“When I was a little boy, I could only dream about what I’ve done. So I look back with pride and fond memories and [have] created some unbelievable relationships with managers and players.”

There’s no feeling sorry for himself though, with Jones accepting injury issues can be just another painful reality of the professional game.

“I needed time,” Jones, who made over 200 appearances for United, stated. “I knew the last couple of years I was really struggling, so it’s hard to deal with mentally and physically, especially with a family.

“But no violins, football is football and people pick up injuries. I had a great career and I loved every minute of it.”

The now 32-year-old was speaking at a Pro Am Padel Tour event in Manchester. The two vs two racket sport continues to grow in popularity and Jones is a self-confessed fan.

“When it first started I played a little bit, he added. “I loved tennis as a kid so it’s a similar game, although you don’t have to run around as much. But it’s everywhere now. It’s a good sport.”

But instead of chasing a career in the ever-growing world of padel, Jones has his sights set on a return to football, this time as a manager.

“I took my time to think about what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go and the career that I wanted to pave for myself post-football, Jones stated at the event sponsored by Cupra.

“I love coaching. I love being on the grass with the young lads. That’s my ambition, I want to go into coaching. I’ve completed my A Licence. I’ve recently just enrolled on the Pro Licence, which starts in January through the FA, so I’m excited about that. It’s a good learning experience for me to build your steps and get on that ladder again.

“And ultimately, I want to go into management. I think that I’ve played under a lot of good managers, and I’d like to think that I’ve taken a little bit from all those managers and players I’ve played with. You never know, and I am going to give it a good crack.”

CUPRA is the proud sponsor of the Pro Am Padel Tour 2024. For more information visit www.cupraofficial.co.uk.