Sports

Phil Jones: Former Man United man credits club for coaching success

Nairavoice · Jun 20, 2026 · 2 min read

Former Manchester United defender Phil Jones is about to embark on a new coaching journey.

United career

Jones started his career with Blackburn Rovers but moved to Old Trafford in 2011.

He won the league title in 2013 and impressed Sir Alex Ferguson enough that the legendary manager claimed Jones had the potential to be the club’s best ever player.

Sadly, injuries took their toll, and Jones never looked anything like fulfilling his excellent potential.

All in all, he played 229 times for United, scoring six goals in total.

The defender finally retired in 2023 after barely kicking a ball in anger during his final four seasons at the club.

Coaching career

After retiring, he joined United’s under-14 and under-18 coaching teams and got a senior chance with Blackburn Rovers in February.

He left that position this month and joined Sheffield United earlier this week.

Learning

Jones has given an interview to Sheffield United’s website discussing his coaching roles to date.

Commenting on the opportunity to join such a historic club, he explained, “I think it’s a club that’s got rich history. I’ve played against them a lot of times over the years. I know exactly what they’re about, what the fans expect, and speaking to Chris (Wilder) and the staff, it was a project that I was really excited about.”

Elaborating further on his new role, he explained, “I’m really looking forward to it. I’ve had some good conversations with him (Wilder) on how he sees the team and how he wants to play. The project’s there. I’m excited about it.”

Reflecting on his previous experience, he claimed, “I think when I finished, it (coaching) was always something at the forefront of my mind, what I wanted to do, stay in the game. I spent a couple of years in the academy at Man United, which was great for my learning, my development. I got the call from Michael (O’Neill) to go in at Blackburn to the end of last season, which was really good. I really enjoyed it.”