"What he said was poor. Really poor" - Phil Jones reacts to former Manchester United teammate Rio Ferdinand's comments

Manchester United defender Phil Jones has hit back at Rio Ferdinand following the harsh remarks he received from the former England international. Rio Ferdinand recently claimed Phil Jones was wasting space at Manchester United and the defender has wasted no time in responding.

“Listen, the respect I’ve got is enormous. I’ve shared a dressing room with Rio – great professional. Loved playing with him. Great lad, good humor. Learned so much off him. But what he said was poor. Really poor. I’m not into disputes, not into arguments, and if he didn’t know, he didn’t know. I’ve been through hell and back over the last couple of years. I struggled with my knee a little bit and [there] came a point after lockdown where I thought enough was enough," said the Manchester United defender.

“I kept myself in great shape over lockdown and came back. But I remember just training out here and going into the doc and saying ‘enough’s enough'. I think as a footballer, as a person, as a human being, that’s the lowest I probably ever felt in my life. You try and get a balance between football and family life but it was so difficult going home and trying to look after the kids. You’re there, but you’re not there, you’re not present," revealed Phil Jones.

“Unfortunately, there was going to be time off the pitch, which I knew was going to be difficult for me, but it was something that I had to do. Thankfully, I see the light at the end of the tunnel now and I’ve been back training, playing a few behind-closed-doors games and I’m feeling really good at the minute. It’s nice to get that balance back,” he added.

Phil Jones' last appearance for Manchester United came up against Tranmere Rovers in January 2020.

Phil Jones nearing Manchester United return

Manchester United lost Phil Jones to a terrible knee injury in January 2020. The defender has spent almost two years on the sidelines and even considering ending his career at one point. However, with persistence and determination, he appears to be nearing a breakthrough.

Phil Jones recently returned to reserve team football, playing 90 minutes with Manchester United's U-23 team on two occasions. With his progress going well, the Englishman could return to first team action in the coming weeks.