Phil Jones saw plenty of talented players come and go during his 12 years at Manchester United.
Back in 2023, Manchester United confirmed that Phil Jones was released following the expiration of his contract.
Since leaving, Jones has graduated in Sport Directorship and could re-enter the footballing industry in a behind-the-scenes role.
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The 33-year-old also speaks often about United’s progress and his years at Old Trafford, including the incredible players he shared the pitch with.
Phil Jones raves about Alvaro Carreras at Man United
In a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, Jones was asked about playing with Alvaro Carreras, who came up through United’s academy and now finds himself at Real Madrid.
“Did you work with Carreras at United?” Jones was asked.
“Yeah, Incredible. Incredible player. Incredible player,” Jones replied.
“I didn’t think he’d get to that level. Don’t forget he went out on loan to Preston and wasn’t playing that regularly at Preston. He was brilliant.
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“And the reason that people would look at him and go ‘maybe not for us’ is because he probably lacked pace.
“And as a left back, he’s tall. He’s got like sort of a really lanky way of running. But I thought he was brilliant. I thought technically he was brilliant. He kept the ball. He never gave the ball away.
“He was one that surprised me why United let him go.”
Alvaro Carreras is now a superstar at Real Madrid
United sold Carreras for just £5m to Benfica in 2024. Just a year later, United earned more from Carreras’ sell-on fee when he joined Real Madrid than they did from the initial sale.
Carreras has become Xabi Alonso’s first-choice left-back at Madrid, featuring in 16 consecutive La Liga matches for the Spanish giants.
Reports suggest United regret selling Carreras and view him as the one who got away.
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Considering United are now considering bringing in a new left wing-back in 2026, it makes his sale even more bitter.
Carreras was never given a real opportunity to shine at United, and clearly Jones agrees that it was a major mistake.
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