‘I want more’ – Man Utd player keen to prove recent outing is not ‘one-off’
Following his recent return for Man Utd, Phil Jones has insisted that he “wants more” appearances so he can prove his worth to the club.
The Red Devils paid a fee of around £16m to sign the centre-back from Blackburn Rovers in 2011.
Top ten players who have gone backwards the most this season
Jones has played 226 times for Man Utd over the past eleven seasons. He has also been capped 27 times by England.
The 30-year-old has been severely hampered by injuries in recent years. He has only played three times in the Premier League since the start of the 2019/20 campaign.
The defender made his return to the first team in January as Man Utd were beaten 1-0 by Wolves at Old Trafford.
Jones has suggested that he is going to play with “freedom” when given the opportunity:
“I had 30 minutes against Middlesbrough when Rapha [Raphael Varane] came off,” Jones told Man United’s website. “Any time I get on the pitch now, I go out and play with freedom, just enjoy playing football. I’ve been out for so long, so you enjoy it, play for freedom, do it for yourself, for the fans, for your family.
“It’s the way you’ve got to be. You can’t live in fear on the pitch or fear of walking out on the pitch. What could it be like if I’ve done that or do that and then this is going to happen… Just go out and play football.”
Jones went onto say that he is desperate to show that he can still cut it at Man Utd:
“I turned 30 the other week and still feel young and fresh. I feel I have a lot more to give still, as long as I feel great, I can continue for as long as I can.
“[My ambition is] Just try to play as many games as I can. Try to be involved in things, to be part of the games. I know, when you’ve been out for a while, people think yeah, he’s been out for a while but I’m ready. I know I’m capable of playing.
“Hopefully, I proved that against Wolves. I don’t want that to be a one-off. I want more. I’ll keep myself in the best shape I can so when the time comes, hopefully I’ll get some game-time towards the end of the season and I can show people why I am here.”