What Can Phil Jones Do To Rejuvenate Manchester United Career?

Speculation linking Phil Jones with a transfer away from Manchester United earlier this week was the cruel proof that his career at Old Trafford has well and truly stagnated.

It’s unsurprising really on both sides of the coin that Jones is in desire. Since making his Premier League debut with Blackburn Rovers at the age of just 18 against Chelsea, Jones has shown a fearless physicality that has also been one of the reasons for his downfall.

Rather than his skills being honed, Jones’ £16.5 million transfer to Manchester United has only exacerbated his tempestuousness. Sure there’s been the odd impressive display, especially at the start of the 2011/2012 season, which led to some hyperbole from Sir Bobby Charlton comparing him to Duncan Edwards that was only outdone when Sir Alex Ferguson insisted that he could go on to become Manchester United’s greatest ever player.

But injuries, his unbridled, unrepentant enthusiasm, more injuries, more injuries and more injuries mean that going into the start of the new season, after the purchase of Eric Bailly, Phil Jones is now fourth choice at the heart of Manchester United’s defence behind the Ivorian, Daley Blind, and Chris Smalling.

It’s not been a sudden fall from grace. But the fact that he’s still so young, Jones will only turn 25 in February, means that he’s been hovering in footballing purgatory for years, with excuses repeatedly being made as to why his apparently inevitable ascent to a United great had now been delayed.

The appointment of Jose Mourinho has sped this process up. There’s no time for any more maybes and what ifs. Instead Mourinho wants to immediately return Manchester United to winning ways.

But where can Phil Jones fit into this?

Unfortunately, after five seasons trying to do so and with competition so rife, it’s unlikely that Phil Jones will ever defy injury or be provided with the prolonged stretch of games over an entire season to secure his position at the heart of Manchester United’s defence.

Instead Jones’ best bet is to either follow the path of the likes of John O’Shea and Phil Neville before him by becoming a squad player that’s a jack of all trades rather than a master of none, or to try and usurp Antonio Valencia at right back. Despite his sensational start to the season, the Ecuadorian is still primarily a right winger and he just turned 31, too.

It’s looking increasingly likely that it will be the former. Not only has Jose Mourinho spoken glowingly of his squad, and his desire to find room for every player on his roster, but he won’t rest until United are competing on four fronts and playing around 70 games per season.

The fact that Phil Jones can play proficiently at centre-back, right-back, and central midfield could become very handy when injuries, loss of form and suspension roll around. It might not be the glittering place in footballing folklore that was originally outlined for him, but it’s undeniable that a man of his talents could still be very, very useful, but not integral, for United.

[Images via Getty/Lintao Zhang & Getty/Stephen Pond]