Phil Neville has said that Manchester United’s defensive stalwart Phil Jones can go on to become a leader for club and country.
The youngster was signed from Blackburn Rovers for £ 16 million a few years ago. United did not hesitate to pay this extravagant fee for a youngster, who had been proven at the top level. They had to beat the competition from several clubs in order to secure his signature. He has slowly become a regular first-team player for the club, while previous manager Sir Alex Ferguson used him extremely well in various positions due to his versatility.
David Moyes has managed to build on this attribute by using Jones in a number of positions like centre back, right back, and defensive midfielder. United’s first-team coach Neville has said that Jones has been one of the best players for the club this season. Rooney has been taking all the headlines for his goals and assists, but the contribution from Jones has been equally important according to Neville. Jones has stated on several occasions that he wants to play as the centre back, but Neville is of the opinion that he will slowly settle into one position rather than being used in a variety of positions.
“People keep going on that he needs to find a position. I don’t worry about that because eventually he will find his position. People forget how young he is. If he’s a centre-back, centre-backs don’t peak until they’re 27, 28 or 29. Look back on Rio [Ferdinand], who has been one of the very best centre-backs. Early in his career he played in a three, sometimes as a sweeper, the odd game in midfield, and then when he got to 26 he was a centre back and he was one of the best centre backs,” said Neville.