Manchester United defender Phil Jones has opened up on the regrets he still holds from the club’s Premier League title win in 2012-13.
Jones joined United in 2011 from Blackburn Rovers and has helped the club win several trophies as well as the league, including the FA Cup and the Europa League in 2017.
However, the 29-year-old’s United career has been hampered by a series of injuries, the latest of which has kept him on the sidelines for almost 18 months.
Jones has not played for United since an FA Cup tie in January 2020 due to a long-term knee problem for which he underwent an operation last summer.
The England international was part of the side that was victorious in Sir Alex Ferguson's final season in charge.
And Jones has revealed some of the things he would have done differently after winning the title.
“I just wish, looking back, I’d enjoyed it a bit more,” Jones said on the UTD Podcast.
“I was a bit naïve, a bit young, you go and do something else and forget about it. Maybe that comes with experience.”
However, Jones did manage to enjoy winning the league in many ways, in an experience he described as “special”.
“I go back to it, as a kid, if you’d have told me I’d win the Premier League with Man United…,” said Jones.
“There’s some things I get, a lot of players win the Premier League these days, but there’s so many players that were good players who will never come close to winning the Premier League.
“And to win the Premier League, to have that on your CV [is huge].”
United wrapped up the title with a 3-0 win over Aston Villa at Old Trafford, thanks a first-half hat-trick from Robin van Persie which included his memorable volley from a long ball forward from Wayne Rooney.
“I remember the game, I remember being in the hotel the night before we played Villa on a night game and it didn’t matter who we were going to play, we’d win,” said Jones.
“We were just itching to play the game. It gives you goosebumps just now thinking about the fans when Wazza [Wayne Rooney] plays the ball over to Robin [van Persie] and he volleyed it into the net, and Old Trafford just erupted, and it was a crazy feeling at such a young age to win the Premier League.”
The former Blackburn defender also mentioned how he has even got his own replica trophy from the title winning season at his home.
“Being able to say that we won the Premier League, got the medal...” he said.
“I even got the replica Premier League trophy at my house to remind me and make the most of it. I want my kids to know that I’ve won the Premier League.”
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side will travel to the King Power Stadium to play Leicester on October 16.
United will then switch their focus to the Champions League where they will play host to Italian side Atalanta in the group stage four days later.
