Phil Jones will leave Manchester United at the end of next month, the club has confirmed.
The defender has endured a torrid time with injuries across a number of seasons, with Erik ten Hag admitting that he has only seen Jones train for 20 minutes this season.
Jones’ contract expires at the end of the current season and, while United do have the option to trigger a twelve month extension, the two parties have agreed to sever ties.
In a heartfelt interview with club media, Phil Jones admitted, “It’s been very difficult, the last couple of years.
“There’s no denying that. There is no hiding away from that. My family have been absolutely instrumental in keeping me on the straight and narrow and keeping me focused, to try to get fit and try to play more.
“And, you know, I’ve missed playing football. I missed it. You grow up playing football and all you want to do is play football. It’s all I’ve known, from such a young age, is to do what you love doing for a living. I’ve been fortunate enough to do that, albeit not as much as I would have liked.
“I’ve worked tirelessly hard,” he admitted. “I literally left no stone unturned. I tried to get back as quick as I could, every time I was out in the last couple of years. I think the highlight for me would have to be the Wolves game [his return from injury last season], when I came back. That was just a moment that I’ll never forget. It gives me goosebumps now, thinking about it. I mean I worked so, so hard to get to that stage of fitness.
“That was a huge, huge moment in my career and the fans, that day, were incredible. The love that they showed me for that game, the passion that they showed, was sensational. And I can’t thank them enough for that. They’ve been a constant support throughout my time here.”
Phil Jones is expected to take some time off away from football to consider his options going forward.
Whether or not he plays professionally again is unclear at this stage, although his injury woes would make an immediate return highly unlikely.
It would, however, be a huge positive for Jones to remain in the game in some capacity. He appeared as a pundit on Sky Sports for Manchester United’s Carabao Cup victory over Newcastle.
Perhaps he will be appearing on our screens again before too long.
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