Sir Alex Ferguson gives me goosebumps – he convinced me to sign for Man Utd without asking me a thing about football
FORMER Manchester United star Phil Jones has opened up on the moment Sir Alex Ferguson convinced him to join the Red Devils.
Jones spent 12 years with United, making nearly 250 appearances and lifting the Premier League title.
The now retired centre-back joined Man Utd from Blackburn back in 2011, having impressed with Rovers in his youth.
And speaking to former team-mate Rio Ferdinand on the Rio Ferdinand Presents Five podcast, Jones harked back to the conversation he had with Sir Alex Ferguson prior to making the move.
The 32-year-old said: “An unknown number rings me – ‘Phil, it’s Sir Alex here. I want you to come over to Nice and come and meet me.’
“It’s just me and Sir Alex, so I’m sat in the room thinking ‘Oh my god. What am I going to say here?’
“He didn’t ask me a single question on football“.
Jones went to on to explain that the last thing Sir Alex said to him was the thing that sealed the deal, revealing it still gives him goosebumps to this day.
He added: “The last thing he said to me, he looked it my eyes and he said: ‘Phil, are you are winner?’
“It gives me goosebumps now. That’s the point. There was nothing he could say that would change my mind.
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“I’m being deadly serious there was nothing he could say. Nothing. I don’t even know how to put it into words”.
Jones will certainly be able to look back on his career with United and say he was a winner.
The 27-time England international retired at Old Trafford as a Premier League champion, FA Cup winner, League Cup winner and having lifted the Europa League.
Sadly his career was cut short with injuries after he missed around 200 GAMES through injury throughout his playing days.
Now Jones is looking to take the next steps in his career and revealed in a recent column for the BBC that he is looking to head into coaching and, ultimately, management.
The Preston-born defender has already completed his Uefa A license and is looking forward to starting his coaching career.
He wrote: “I am looking forward to it because I am ambitious, I want to challenge myself and I love to put myself under pressure.
“I am itching to get involved somewhere in some capacity and hopefully, in a few years’ time, I will be in a position where I can put all of this to the test.”