Former Man Utd star, 32, now looking to make his own way as a manager after taking first steps into coaching
PHIL JONES has revealed his intention to become a manager after already enjoying success on his coaching journey.
The ex-England international retired last summer after his contract at Manchester United expired.
GettyPhil Jones has declared his intention to become a manager[/caption]
GettyThe former defender was part of the last title-winning team at Old Trafford[/caption]
The 32-year-old then started a global football sport directorship course but he was also back on the training pitch at United as part of the U18s’ coaching staff this term.
Jones, who was in United’s last Premier League title-winning side, has already enjoyed success by helping them to claim a league and cup double.
He spent 12 years at Old Trafford since Sir Alex Ferguson signed him from Blackburn in 2011.
He was plagued by injuries in his final years, making just five appearances since the start of the 2020/21 season until hanging up his boots.
Jones made 229 appearances for Man Utd, winning the Premier League, FA Cup and Europa League.
He also racked up 27 caps for England between 2011 and 2018.
Now he wants to put all of his experience and knowledge picked up by playing under the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson and Sam Allardyce in the dug-out.
Jones exclusively told Ladbrokes 1-2-Free: “I’ve matured as the years have gone on, and I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve done since retiring.
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“You know, getting my A Licence in coaching, I’ve loved getting involved, I’ve helped out with the under-18s at Manchester United this year, and that’s been brilliant for me.
“I’ve really got that urge now, to get back out there and make my own pathway for the next stage of my career.
“I certainly have my own aspirations of going into management. I’ve played under some incredible managers who have given me so much knowledge, and I’ve learned so much from every one of them. It’s experience that you can’t buy.”
He continued: “I enjoy working with players, working with young lads, being on the pitch, in and around the squad.
“I’m going to apply for my pro licence in the next few weeks, which hopefully I’ll be able to do soon.
“I’ve also been doing a sports directorship course through the PFA which has been really good. It’s given me the chance to work with people I wouldn’t normally come across.
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“I’ve taken myself out of my comfort zone with that one; I’ve not done modules and exams since I was at high school, so that was an eye-opener for me! But I’ve loved doing it; it’s fascinating learning about the other side of the game.
“It’s something you have an idea of, as a player, but I’ve learned so much more, in greater detail, on this course, and so that’s maybe an avenue I’d like to explore in the future.”
PHIL JONES
All you need to know about his career:
Clubs:
Blackburn Rovers (2002-2011)
35 league apps
Manchester United (2011-2023)
169 league apps, 2 goals
International:
England – 27 caps
Honours –
Premier League title (2012)
FA Community Shield (2011, 2013)
FA Cup (2016)
Europa League (2017)
Jones then added that even though he 100 per cent wants to become boss in his own right, he is ready to remain patient in order to achieve success.
He said: “I definitely want to go into management in the next few years, for sure.
“I don’t think that going into management too early is the right thing to do; I think there’s a progression that’s got to happen, but I’d love to work at a club as an assistant or first-team coach, and I definitely feel I’ve got something to offer in terms of helping squads, and individual players.”
Man Utd’s Ten Hag decision has turned into a fiasco
NO ONE can accuse Sir Jim Ratcliffe of not being true to his word — he has insisted from the start it was a three-year plan, writes Phil Thomas.
But maybe he should have said that wasn’t the timescale on turning Manchester United into title challengers once again.
Clearly United’s would-be saviour was talking of how long it would take to decide who he wanted as manager.
It has seemed that way at least, in a week when an against-all-odds FA Cup final win over neighbours City has barely had a mention alongside the debate over Erik ten Hag’s future.
To the point that if — as appears increasingly likely — he gets a vote of confidence instead of a P45, Sir Jim will have made it look the exact opposite.
You have to hand it to United and their new investor — when it comes to finding a cloud in every silver lining, they’re in a league of their own.
Eight days have passed since Bruno Fernandes lifted the world’s most famous domestic knockout trophy.
Eight days since Ten Hag finally gave a bit back to all those who have passed judgment on the job he’s done and whether he should keep it.
Eight days since he gave Sir Jim a metaphoric dig in the ribs to make a decision, by insisting he would happily go and win cups elsewhere if he wasn’t wanted.
And eight days since Ratcliffe did not even have the decency to mention by name the man who had just won United’s first FA Cup in eight years, as he name-checked so many others.
No wonder there has been a definite, if not decisive, mood shift among fans since last week’s triumph.
Not necessarily a flood of support for Ten Hag, mind. The memory of beating City will live long but so, too, will a seven-goal hiding at Anfield, six at the Etihad, four at Palace.
A frustration at squandered leads, a season of 19 defeats, an eighth-placed finish with a negative goal difference. Wembley alone can’t erase all that.
It’s not so much a show of faith in the manager, more a shrinking one in Sir Jim and his tub-thumping vows of a Red resurrection.
Bold promises that no longer would United be a laughing stock chucking money around like a drunken lottery winner. They would unearth their own stars instead.
Old Trafford would once again become a cathedral of excitement and entertainment. They would demand it of the manager, whoever it was.
Immediately after the FA Cup win, you’d have got a big price on that being Ten Hag — so the fact he is now odds-on to still be in charge at the start of next season proves what a fiasco it has been.
Ratcliffe may be a dab hand at getting office desks tidied and youth- team dressing rooms swept but it’s a different story when it comes to the biggest calls.
It is an open secret Sir Jim and his team have been eyeing potential new gaffers for months and you’d imagine there would be no shortage of takers or candidates.
Graham Potter was an early front-runner but Sir Dave Brailsford and Co weren’t convinced he was a sexy — or big — enough name.
Then it was Gareth Southgate but managing England’s Euro assault was always going to make that tricky — and there are also whispers he is now distancing himself from it.
Next cab off the rank was Thomas Tuchel but despite a dip-your-toe- in-the-water inquiry, the German was a long shot from the off.
Too volatile, too dear and too difficult to manage. No way would he meekly accept anyone telling him how his team must play. Even United’s kingmakers realised that.
So the search moved on to Kieran McKenna, a former United coach and assistant manager who knew the club better than those doing the interviewing.
An eternal Ipswich hero after leading them from League One to the top tier in two years. But compared to one of the elite jobs in world football? It was a no-brainer.
Only it wasn’t . . . the contract that the Northern Irishman chose was an extension at Portman Road rather than a new one at Old Trafford.
Of the others to get a mention, only Mauricio Pochettino remains — but if Ratcliffe and the crew fancy him, why are they dragging their heels over appointing a free agent?
It has been a farce from the start, with tales of United even picking the brains of other clubs. That really would be a sign of desperation.
You couldn’t blame Ten Hag if he raised two fingers to Sir Jim and told him where to stick it. It’s been obvious for months that he wasn’t wanted.
And equally clear that if he remains as manager, it will effectively be by default. So should that happen, don’t insult everyone with any statements of support. Don’t give us any bull about keeping quiet to avoid disrupting the Wembley build-up. It was your silence that brought chaos, when one sentence would have meant calm.
Any public backing now would be as believable as the fast-fading idea that United were getting a saviour on a white charger when Sir Jim rode into town.
A man returning to his Northern roots intent on rebuilding an empire — yet showing more interest in the bottom of a balance sheet than the top of the table.
Mike Ashley with a Failsworth accent, you could say — and at least the former Newcastle owner didn’t try to disguise it.
