Phil Jones is back at Manchester United. No, you haven’t read that wrong. The English defender, who was released last week, is back at the club.
However, he is not back for the reason you might think. United may well be suffering injury issues at the heart of their defence but Jones is not back for one last hoorah.
After suggestions on social media yesterday that the defender had become a coach for United’s under-18 side, it has been clarified exactly why the former Blackburn Rovers defender is back at Carrington.
According to the Manchester Evening News, the defender is merely observing academy training sessions as opposed to being in a full-time role at United.
Jones’ future in the game
After an injury-ravaged few seasons at Old Trafford, Jones and United agreed to part ways following the expiry of the defender’s contract.
“I want to express my thanks for the incredible love and support over the last week, Jones said when it was confirmed he would be leaving the club.
“I’ve known how special the United fans are, but this week has shown just how special.”
There was some surprise on Tuesday after rumours were circulating that the defender was back. According to the report, however, Jones is still considering the next steps of his career.
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A sad end to his United career
As mentioned, Jones struggled throughout the final years of his United career, after he was awarded with a new contract in 2019.
Jones’ mental health was, unsurprisingly, struggling after his injury problems according to his interview with The Times in 2022.
United, in the report, have stressed that it is normal for former United players to return to the club and ‘engage’ with the academy players at Carrington.
You do wonder if the defender would consider an offer of a coaching role as his life experience and the things he learned during his 12 years at the club and he could pass on valuable experiences to the youngsters in the academy.