Blackburn Rovers made £16.5m from academy product but it never really worked out for him: View | OneFootball

Phil Jones never fulfilled his potential after his £16.5 million switch from Blackburn Rovers to Manchester United.

When Manchester United signed Phil Jones from Blackburn Rovers for £16.5 million in 2011, the centre-back looked set for a bright future at the top of world football.

Having come through the ranks at Blackburn, Jones was already an England under-21 international and his combative defending made him a wanted man. The then 19-year-old was highly sought after and had reportedly had offers from Arsenal and Liverpool, but his desire was always to move to Old Trafford.

At the start of his spell at Old Trafford, the defender cemented a first team place and looked destined to be Sir Alex Ferguson's favoured option at centre-back. Furthermore, Jones was primed to be an England international for years to come.

However, the Preston born defender never lived up to expectations as he was plagued by injuries throughout his career and many will wonder what could have been.

£16.5 million represents good business for Blackburn

When United come knocking, it is always going to be near-impossible to hold onto your talent. In 2011, this was even more so, given the club's success under Ferguson. The Red Devils were winning everything and everyone wanted to be a part of their success.

At that time, £16.5 million represented a sizeable fee and would have been tough for any club to turn down. Furthermore, Rovers finished the season in 15th position and could not match the ambition of a club like United, who finished the season nine points clear at the top of the table.

Although the club eventually let Jones depart for Old Trafford, then Rovers manager, Steve Kean, revealed that the club made a "staggering" offer to keep the centre-back at Ewood Park. However, no offer would have been enough to stop him sealing his dream move.

Considering how Jones' career has panned out, the fee Rovers sold him for must represent good business for the club. However, if it had not been for his relentless injuries, then the defender could have gone on to be a United legend.

Jones left wondering what might have been

In the summer of 2023, Jones announced his retirement from football in an emotional message on social media site, 'X'. In his statement, he revealed his frustrations from his time at Old Trafford: "I wish I could have played more. I wish I could have given more to the many squads I played alongside. I will say, from the bottom of my heart, I did everything I could. I did everything the medical team asked of me."

Jones' retirement from football left fans wondering what might have been. The potential of Jones was there for all to see, but because of injuries, nobody will ever know what he could have achieved.

Having started his career at Blackburn, it did not take Jones long to grasp the attention of the Premier League big boys. He was only in his second senior season when Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool came knocking.

The defender was a commanding presence at the back and would have been a nightmare to play against, given his strength and ruthlessness. To turn Sir Alex's head is no mean feat, and it is testament to Jones that he attracted the attention of English football's most successful manager.

During his first season at Old Trafford, the centre-back cemented his place in Sir Alex's team and made 29 Premier League appearances for the club. However, the following season was the start of his prolonged struggle with injuries.

Although Jones was able to bounce back from his early career setbacks, it was not sustainable, and his minutes on the pitch were severely hampered by a series of injuries.

Throughout his career, Jones suffered an astonishing 23 injuries that kept him out for a total of 1,216 days. The most significant injury was a knee injury that kept him out for 454 days whilst at United.

Despite his injury record, Jones won a host of titles whilst at United, including the Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup and Europa League. Intriguingly, Jones remained at Old Trafford for 12 years and ended his career at Old Trafford.

If it were not for injuries, then Phil Jones could have achieved greatness. The defender was at United and was an England regular with mountains of potential.

However, due to injuries, the centre-back never lived up to expectations and his career fizzled out while he spent a staggering amount of time on the treatment table.

At £16.5 million, Blackburn did good business for Jones, but if his career had gone as expected, then it could have been a bargain for United.