Why is Phil Jones back at Manchester United after getting released in the summer?

Phil Jones has been in the news recently for being spotted at a number of Manchester United academy sessions.

Reports have since linked Jones with a move to the club's coaching set-up for the U18 team. He was released by Manchester United as a free agent at the end of his contract in June but his return to the club has sparked speculation about his future.

Manchester Evening News, however, have quashed rumors about Jones returning to the club in a coaching capacity. They state that his presence in training sessions is being treated as an opportunity for young players to engage with someone who has experience and knowledge to impart.

The Red Devils currently have Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane, Victor Lindelof and Harry Maguire as their four main centre-backs. Jonny Evans (35) has also been signed on a one-year deal to expand the club's depth at the back.

Jones, 31, was signed by the English giants in 2011 for €19.3 million after he impressed during his time at Blackburn Rovers. He was in and out of the starting XI during his first few seasons at the club.

But towards the end of his time at Old Trafford, Jones found it hard to get any minutes due to injuries and inconsistency. Overall, he made 229 senior appearances for the club across competitions but only 13 of those came since the start of the 2019-20 season.

Jones' last game for the Red Devils came in May 2022.

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Phil Jones recalled injury return in 2022 as his highlight at Manchester United

Not a lot of footballers can boast of spending more than a decade at Manchester United. Phil Jones was on the club's books for 12 years.

The centre-back won six senior trophies with the Red Devils, including the Premier League title under Sir Alex Ferguson in the 2012-13 season. But when picking out the highlight of his career in Manchester, he chose the moment last year when he returned from injury after a lengthy lay-off.

In an interview with Manchester United's official website, after it was announced he would leave the club this summer, Jones said:

"I think the highlight for me would have to be the Wolves game [his return from injury last season], when I came back. That was just a moment that I'll never forget. It gives me goosebumps now, thinking about it. I mean I worked so, so hard to get to that stage of fitness."

Jones played the full 90 minutes in his team's 1-0 league loss against Wolverhampton Wanderers on 3 January 2022. It was his first appearance for the club after a 707-day lay-off and he only played four more times after that.