By Liam Randall
Copyright walesonline
Speculation connecting former Manchester United defender Phil Jones with a potential move to Wrexham as either a player or coach has been categorically rejected. Rumours reached fever pitch last weekend when the ex- England centre-half was spotted watching the Red Dragons’ 3-1 defeat to Queens Park Rangers alongside Hollywood co-owner Ryan Reynolds . The 33-year-old’s presence with the Deadpool actor in a hospitality box at the Racecourse Ground sparked suggestions he might be contemplating a surprising return from retirement to assist Wrexham in managing their difficult transition to Championship football. Jones left United in 2023 after a 12-year period at Old Trafford, spending a year out of the game before retiring permanently . Following his retirement, he has entered coaching within United’s youth structure , which also generated speculation that he could be considering a move to Wrexham’s academy system or even being positioned as a possible successor to manager Phil Parkinson. However, club director Shaun Harvey has now dismissed these suggestions, disclosing that Jones was merely attending as a guest and neighbour of chief executive Michael Williamson. “Poor old Phil Jones came as a guest of Michael Williamson to the game, because they live very close together,” the former EFL chief executive revealed on the Fearless in Devotion podcast. “If we had won that game on Saturday, nobody would have cared less that he was there. Then all of a sudden, it’s ‘What’s this conspiracy that’s going on,’ because Phil Jones is watching a game. “I can officially confirm that Phil Jones was enjoying his day at Wrexham long before the actual result, and wasn’t there for any other purpose than to extend his learning experience as he’s now a former footballer. “There were probably other ex-footballers and ex-managers there who weren’t in the Betty Buzz Suite, but it’s just easy to build a story or a narrative that suits an agenda.” Regarded as a promising talent in his early days, Jones secured a £16.5m transfer from Blackburn Rovers to United in 2011. He subsequently lifted the Premier League title during Sir Alex Ferguson ‘s final season at Old Trafford. Ongoing fitness issues hampered significant portions of his playing career, with the defender ultimately losing his place before his departure. At the start of the 2023/24 campaign, Jones took on a coaching position within United’s academy structure. Meanwhile, Reynolds has been present for two Wrexham home fixtures this season, though he remains yet to see his team secure three points after witnessing a 3-2 loss to West Brom in August. Phil Parkinson’s squad have managed to gather just four points from their initial five Championship encounters, positioning them 21st in the table, sitting merely one point above the relegation places. Reports at the weekend claimed talks were held concerning the manager’s future following Wrexham’s rocky start, but these suggestions have been dismissed by Harvey . Alongside Jones, Reynolds was joined on Saturday by actor Colin Hanks, son of Hollywood titan Tom Hanks, who he recently worked with on a documentary about Canadian comedy legend John Candy.
