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Phil Jones has opened up on the game that made him realise his Manchester United career was over, which left him with a bitter taste in his mouth.
Former Manchester United defender Phil Jones has opened up about the pivotal moment he knew his long career at Old Trafford was nearing its conclusion.
After 12 years of service and 27 international caps for England, Jones departed the club in 2023. Since retiring from professional football, he has been working towards earning his coaching badges.
Jones’ career, despite moments of brilliance, was overshadowed by a string of injuries that drastically limited his appearances. This was especially evident after he signed a new contract in 2019 under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who was then serving as United's interim manager.
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Phil Jones who won the Premier League title with Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013
However, the renewed deal did little to keep him in the team, and Jones barely featured over the next two years. It wasn’t until January 2022, under Ralf Rangnick, that Jones made a senior appearance again, during a 1-0 defeat to Wolves. This was his first match in 707 days, with his previous game being a 6-0 FA Cup win over Tranmere Rovers, where he even scored a goal.
Reflecting on that Wolves match, Jones recalled a specific moment that left him questioning his future at the club. In a conversation with one of United’s analysts, he realised the uncertainty of his position.
“I remember the analysis guy, who has been there for a while, came to me before the game and told me, ‘The manager has asked me for previous games of you,’” Jones explained on The High Perfomance Podcast.
“And I’m thinking, ‘What? I have played for Man United for 12 years and played over 200 games in different competitions at international level.’ I did not understand why he wanted to see clips of someone who had been at the club for 12 years.”
Despite performing well against Wolves, Jones revealed how the match marked the beginning of the end for him at United.
“I think it was that game where I walked off the pitch, and even though I played really well and I was back, I was emotional. But I did not let the lads see that back in the dressing room.
"I remember everyone was high-fiving me, and even though we had lost 1-0, they were telling me, ‘Jones, brilliant night! We are so pleased and happy for you!’ But I couldn’t accept it because I knew my time was coming to an end, and that was hard to process and take.”
For Jones, football has always been more than just a career. “I love football. It’s all I have ever known as a kid. I want to give as much as I can, and I knew during the game it was adrenaline that got me through more than anything.
Every pass, I was feeling it, and in that moment, I knew the end was near. As any footballer will tell you, whether they have gone through my journey or not, it is tough to let go.”
A further tough moment came towards the end of Rangnick’s interim spell, when Jones was given a surprise start in a 4-0 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield in April 2022.
He was substituted at half-time, with United already trailing 2-0. Though the game was going badly, Jones believed he had done enough to stay on, and being taken off felt like a harsh blow.
"I've never lost my head in a dressing room and I've never been emotional enough to lose myself in the dressing room, and I think that's the only time in my career that I completely lost it,” Jones shared.
“I was absolutely raging. Raging that he humiliated me. Humiliated me in front of an Anfield crowd, first and foremost, fearsome rivals, and the fans and my family and the players.”
Despite the team’s poor performance, Jones felt unjustly targeted. “We were 2-0 down at half-time, we weren’t great, I don’t think we had a shot on target in the first half. Nothing was coming off. And I’d actually done alright in the game. I definitely didn’t deserve to come off at half-time.”
Feeling he had been made an “easy scapegoat,” Jones refused to stay silent about the decision. “I took my boots off, and I slammed them on the floor, and I said, ‘You’re taking the f****** p*** out of me.’ Everyone said, ‘Calm down, calm down.’ I get irate now. It really got to me.”
Jones later apologised to Rangnick, acknowledging that the outburst was uncharacteristic for him. However, the incident left a deep impression, further solidifying his realisation that his days at Manchester United were numbered.
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