Phil Jones: We are ready for the pre-season tour
- Red Devils Advocate
- Jul 4, 2017
- 2 min read
Manchester United defender Phil Jones reckons the squad is excited about the upcoming United States pre-season tour and are well aware of what's expected.
The defender who joined in the summer of 2011 was lucky to have his first taste of the tour days after he signed for the club and he has good memories of that summer tour which was also in the US.
Asked what 'pre-season' means to him, he said "Hard work! [Laughs] A lot of travelling, and time and effort being put in by everyone. But it’s all about getting ready for the start of the season and preparing for the first game."
He knows all to well the excitement the tour brings and believes all his teammates are excited and up for it.
"Everyone is looking forward to it. We know exactly what the manager expects from us and he knows the players inside and out.
"He’ll have organised this pre-season period exactly how he wants it - when we’ll train, when we’ll rest and when we'll have commercial work to do. I'm sure it will be a great tour and I’m looking forward to it.
On his specific memories of his maiden tour in the United States, he said "I remember my first game against Chicago Fire and the heat being unbearable! I was trying so hard as well, with it being my first game, as I didn’t want people to think I was just a kid who had come in to sit on the bench and be a bit-part player. It was tough but a good learning curve."
Jones was one of three United defenders to get married after Darmian and Smalling
The England international who was in and out of the team last season is yet to extend his contract and he now faces more competition with the arrival of Victor Lindelof last month.
Asked the benefits of playing the high profile pre-season games that will see United face Real Madrid and Barcelona the defender revealed, " The more matches you play, the more match-fit you are and seven games will give everyone a chance to get minutes under their belts. You need everyone at a good level for the start of the season.
"We’ve often played against these kinds of teams in pre-season and it's exciting for the fans in the States to come to the games. It’s also good for some of the young players who travel with us to experience matches like that. You can take a lot of positives from pre-season and look forward to the start of the season.
It remains to be seen who of Phil Jones or Chris Smalling will perform well enough to warrant a starting spot in Jose Mourinho's team.
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