A name Man Utd fans might not expect has been hailed by assistant manager Mike Phelan for the “mind-blowing” work he’s putting in behind the scenes.
Squad depth appears sharper than ever since the Ferguson years. A primary example showcasing that comes in the form of ex-England internationals Phil Jones and Chris Smalling.
The pair have barely shown over the last two years amid injury afflictions and loan spells. In Jones’ case, he has not played a first-team fixture since January 2020 against Tranmere in the FA Cup.
However, Jones stays committed to the cause as ever and assistant manager Phelan revealed it is the 29-year-old who is leading the charge behind the scenes.
“They all go in the gym now, it’s part of their training programme. Some love it, some hate it,” Phelan told Sensible Soccer.
“But I think in the gym, right now, the people in the gym the most are usually the injured ones.
“That is a real thing they have to do to recover. For us right now, credit to him as well, Phil Jones has tot recovery phase quite a lot.
“He’s worked extremely hard and it’s mind-blowing at times because you’re doing it on your own, so credit to him. Phil Jones has been terrific in the gym.”