Phil Jones isn’t done with soccer yet. The former Manchester United defender, who spent over a decade at Old Trafford, has quietly lined up his next move in coaching.
Sheffield United added Jones to Chris Wilder’s staff for the upcoming Championship season, according to The Yorkshire Post. Jones had been working at Blackburn Rovers under Michael O’Neill until O’Neill left to focus on his Northern Ireland duties. Now Jones is headed to Bramall Lane.
It’s a quick pivot for a guy who only retired from playing a couple years ago. Jones started his coaching career back at Manchester United in the 2023-24 season, working with the under-14s and under-18s. Then in February 2026 he joined Blackburn’s first-team staff. That stint lasted barely a few months before O’Neill’s departure triggered another shakeup.
Wilder said the move is part of a broader reshuffle behind the scenes at Sheffield United after a disappointing Championship campaign last season. “After stabilising last season, we are now looking to inject some fresh ideas into the group, and a collective decision has been made to make some changes behind the scenes,” Wilder said in a statement.
On Jones specifically, Wilder added: “Phil is a young coach who has played under some of the very best and is now forging his own pathway in coaching. He’s coming in tasked with helping throughout the team and he’s already gained some great experience coaching in the academy at Manchester United and with the first team at Blackburn last season. He is highly thought of at both clubs.”
Jones played 229 times for Manchester United, winning a Premier League title in 2013, plus the FA Cup, League Cup and Europa League. He also earned 27 caps for England. But his final four seasons at United were basically a ghost run — just 13 appearances total before he left in 2023 and retired.
The move to Sheffield United had been rumored for weeks. The Peoples Person reported earlier that Jones was likely headed there. Now it’s official. For a guy who started his career at Blackburn as a teenager before moving to United in 2011, the coaching path circles back to the Championship in a pretty direct way.
Sheffield United finished near the bottom of the Championship table last season and Wilder is clearly trying to rebuild the staff with fresh eyes. Jones is only 34, still young for a coach but with plenty of big-game experience. The question now is whether he can help turn a struggling side around.
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