Phil Jones names 'terrific' Man Utd star he's relieved he no longer has to mark

Phil Jones admits he hated trying to mark Amad in training at Manchester United and is enjoying watching him now, with the young winger tipped to flourish under Ruben Amorim

Phil Jones is relieved he can enjoy watching Amad star for Manchester United instead of having the headache of trying to mark him in training.

Jones had the unenviable task of facing Amad and says he hated it because the tricky winger was so quick. The United 2013 title winner remembers the Ivorian’s last-minute winner against Liverpool in the FA Cup in March and predicted then that he would be a big player this season.

Amad, 22, has three goals and two assists and Jones says he has shown he deserves a bigger role under new boss Ruben Amorim. “Amad is a terrific player,” he said after taking part in the Pro-Am Padel Tour in Manchester.

“I love watching him, but I hated playing against him in training because he’s so quick with the ball. I think the game that stood out for me with Amad was the one where we played Liverpool in the FA Cup and he scored the late winner.

“I was there with my little girl and I remember saying then that this guy would play a huge part next season, and I think I’m being proved right.”

Jones, 32, who has moved into coaching, having passed his A Licence and enrolled in the Pro Licence course, feels Amorim will quickly gel with Amad and his team-mates. “They’ve made a change, the new manager has come in, who’s young, fresh, and I think he’ll have a really good understanding of the players,” he said.

“I think he’ll come in and do a really good job. I’m really excited about it. I’m sure the players are and it starts on Sunday against Ipswich.

“I think we’ve got some tremendous talent in the squad. It’s just about finding the balance and getting the best out of those individual players, understanding them as people and the roles and responsibilities they’re going to have within the team.”

Facing Amorim on Sunday will be Kieran McKenna and Jones is a huge fan of the Ipswich boss since working with him at United. “I was so impressed with him,” he said. “When he was with the 18s, I went over and trained a few times with him when it was the internationals, and you could see the way he was with the 18s and the way he structured the sessions.

“Then Jose Mourinho brought him over to the first team. He left and it ended up being Ole [Gunnar Solskjaer], him and Carras [Michael Carrick]. I’ve got to say, Kieran and Carras were absolutely fantastic. The lads loved them and they loved being part of the sessions they put on.

“It’s no surprise he’s gone on and taken Ipswich from League One to the Premier League. Ipswich are giving a great account of themselves and it’ll be a difficult game on Sunday.”

Jones worked with United-18s during his A Licence and says his dream is to become a manager. “I want to go into coaching,” he said. “I’ve completed my A Licence. I’ve enrolled on the Pro Licence, which starts in January through the FA, so I’m excited about that.

“You know, it’s a good learning experience for me to build your steps and get on that ladder again. Ultimately, I want to go into management. I played under a lot of good managers and I’d like to think I’ve taken a little bit from all those managers and players I’ve played with.”

CUPRA is the proud sponsor of the Pro-Am Padel Tour 2024. For more information visit www.cupraofficial.co.uk.

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