Man Utd confirm 27-cap England international will be RELEASED

Robin Bairner

• 19 May 2023 10:37 BST
• 4 min read

Breaking

Manchester United have confirmed that England international defender Phil Jones will leave the club at the end of the season.

Jones signed for the club in 2011 from Blackburn Rovers and went on to make 169 Premier League appearances for the Old Trafford side.

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The 31-year-old’s career, however, has been blighted with injury issues, which have restricted him to just six Premier League outings since the beginning of the 2019/20 season.

Jones, who is thought to earn a wage in the region of £110,000 per week, will depart the Red Devils at the end of June.

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Phil Jones’ message to Man Utd fans

In a message to the supporters posted to his social media channels, Jones said:

“My time at United has been nothing short of incredible. When I decided to leave Blackburn, I always wanted to prove myself frther. I’d represented my boyhood club, and lived a dream, but I was desperate to show everyone what I could do at the highest level.

“I had this hunger inside me, I was desperate to continue that at a club that could challenge for everything. I had offers from a few places, but I was waiting and waiting for the call from United. One day, on holiday, the phone rang and it was Sir Alex.

“To wear this shirt just once, to wear this badge and to represent everyone associated with it, it was an hour.

“I wish I could have played more. I wish I could ave given more to the many squads I played alongside. I will say, from the bottom of my heart, I did everything I could. I did everything the medical team asked of me.

“I never left a stone unturned in the pursuit of living my dream and having the opportunity to represent Manchester United on the pitch. I spent some difficult days away from my family, rehabilitating and recovering away from everyone, recuperating away from the training pitch, which I was desperate to get back to.

“I’ve said before that I found it hard to even speak to my team-mates because I was hurt that I couldn’t help them. I was hurt my family couldn’t see me on matchdays and you feel like you’re letting people down.

“I lived a dream at the biggest club in the world. I played for England in major tournaments. At United, I won trophies, most notably the Premier League under Sir Alex in his final season.

“It’s not a time to be sad. It’s a time to look back, for my and my family, and be happy that I managed to live a dream at United.

“I wish Erik and his staff, and all the players, the best of luck for the future. He’s building something here and I’ll be watching, supporting, and hoping, more than anyone, that he can continue the progress that we can already see.”

Reports suggest that Jones has yet to decide upon his next steps.