19th May, 2023
Phil Jones will leave Manchester United at the conclusion of the season after 12 years at Old Trafford.
His turbulent time in the club will end when his contract ends in June, United said on Friday.
The 31-year-old, who joined United from Blackburn in 2011, appeared in 229 games, scoring six goals and assisting the club to one Premier League title, an FA Cup, and the Europa League.
Jones, who has yet to decide whether or not to continue playing, said on Twitter, “It’s not the time to be sad.” It’s time for me and my family to reflect and be thankful that I was able to live a dream at United.
“I can always say to my family and friends that not many people get to play for this club, to always be in its history and to be able to look back with such happy memories.”
Jones has not played in over a year and managed only 13 appearances since the start of the 2019-20 season.
“I wish I could have played more. I wish I could have given more to the many squads I played alongside,” he said.
“I will say, from the bottom of my heart, I did everything I could. 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.
“Sometimes, in life, things happen that we don’t like, but we have to learn to accept it and be at peace in our minds that we did everything we could to overcome the challenges.”
AFP