Glenn Fernandes
Phil Jones hits back at former Manchester United star Rio Ferdinand over criticism
In an interview with The Times, (h/t Express) Phil Jones has hit back at Manchester United legend, Rio Ferdinand for his scathing criticism of the 29-year-old defender.
Jones has struggled to make a place for himself in the first team set up of Manchester United for quite some time now. He joined as a youngster in 2011 from Blackburn Rovers.
The central defender had a good start to life at Old Trafford. It seemed as though he was destined to make his name at Man Utd but a slew of injuries and managerial changes made it difficult for him.
The defender hasn’t featured in a first-team game ever since January 2020. Jones has been trying to get his fitness up to the required levels by featuring in the Under-23 team in recent times. His situation prompted comments from Rio Ferdinand, who blasted him for still being at the club and blocking a youngster’s pathway to the first team.
Jones has now shared his opinion on Ferdinand’s comments:
“I’ve shared a dressing room with Rio — great professional. Loved playing with him. Great lad, good humour. Learnt so much off him. But what he said was poor. Really poor. I’m not into disputes, not into arguments, and if he didn’t know, he didn’t know.
Jones recently spoke on the official United podcast (h/t Express), highlighting the tough times of his career.
“It’s been tough. I think as a footballer, as a person, as a human being, that’s the lowest I probably ever felt in my life. You try and get a balance between football and family life but it was so difficult going home and trying to look after the kids. You’re there, but you’re not there, you’re not present. It’s nice to get that balance back.”
The defender revealed that he had suffered a horrendous injury and had to undergo microfracture surgery in Barcelona. His rehabilitation was hindered due to obstacles caused by the pandemic and lockdowns.
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Jones, now on the comeback trail, completed 90 mins for Man Utd’s U-23 squad against Brighton on Saturday. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has defended his player and mentioned that the 29-year-old was working hard to get back into the team.
United have added several impressive players into their squad this season. With a host of big names vying for the centre-back position, it will be interesting to see if Jones can make his way into the senior squad once again.
