Phil Jones is looking forward to getting stuck in at Sheffield United after joining Chris Wilder’s coaching team.
Former England defender Phil Jones believes his stint coaching within Manchester United’s academy will stand him in good stead following his arrival at Sheffield United.
It was announced on Wednesday that Jones had been added to manager Chris Wilder’s backroom team following a coaching reshuffle, which has seen Alan Knill - Wilder’s long-time assistant - and Guilherme Ramos leave the club.
The Star revealed that a shake-up to Wilder’s backroom team was in the offing earlier this month, reporting Knill was understood to have been shocked when the news was delivered to him. Ownership group COH Sports is understood to have made the call with an eye on the future.
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As part of the restructure, Micky Collins has been promoted to assistant manager, meaning he will work closer than ever with Wilder, while Jones will become a member of the first-team coaching staff. He has arrived at Bramall Lane following the conclusion of a stint at Blackburn Rovers, working under former head coach Michael O’Neill.
Jones, a Rovers academy graduate, returned to the Ewood Park club in February after O’Neill had been installed as boss on a deal until the end of the season. His return to the Lancashire outfit marked his first venture into the senior fold since retiring from his playing career in August 2024.
Making no secret of his long-term goal to become a manager, Jones, following his retirement, started working as a youth coach in Manchester United’s academy, working with the club’s Under-18s. The 34-year-old spent 12 years at Old Trafford as a player.
Reflecting on his time at Old Trafford, Jones told United’s in-house media: “The coaches were brilliant there for me in the under-18s. They allowed me to express myself and learn different things, learn different dynamics, and coach the players.
“I’m really looking forward to it. Like I have said, I’m excited about the project; Chris has sold that project to me. I can’t wait to get going.
“I think coaching kids and then going into a senior team is different in terms of the messages, in terms of how you coach and how you deliver. It’s something that I’m learning, and adapting and developing at the same time, but this is certainly a club that I want to do that [at].”
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