Phil Jones names the former Man Utd teammate he believes the club got rid of way too soon

Former Manchester United defender Phil Jones has named the one player he thinks the club sold too soon.

Erik ten Hag’s side were active in the summer transfer window, with the Red Devils spending nearly £180m on Matthijs de Ligt, Manuel Ugarte, Leny Yoro, Noussair Mazraoui and Joshua Zirkzee.

But so far, none of the recruits have hit the ground running, with De Ligt, Zirkzee and Ugarte made to start on the bench in Sunday's 0-0 draw with Aston Villa.

Ten Hag tinkered with the defence, leaving Lisandro Martinez and De Ligt out. Harry Maguire and Jonny Evans were brought in and the latter produced a man-of-the-match performance at the age of 36.

Evans' form has impressed many since his return to United in 2023 and Jones has suggested it was a mistake for United to sell the Northern Irishman to West Brom in 2015.

“Jonny Evans coming in and getting Man of the Match wasn’t a surprise. Because I know how quality he is and the qualities he’s got, he’s a top player. People say he’s 36. But he’s a top player,” Jones told Rio Ferdinand on his YouTube channel.

Ferdinand agreed with Jones’ take and stressed how he felt after Evans departed Old Trafford.

“He should have had another 12 years at probably at Man United. As soon as they sold him, I said, ‘Woah, who’s sanctioned this? He’s arguably your best defender there'," added Ferdinand.

“Experienced as well… he’s older than you. Him and Chris Smalling. I was like, ‘You can’t let him go, he understands the fabric of the club. About building and keeping culture. You need people who know, who have been there, grew up at the club."

After leaving United, Evans joined West Brom for an undisclosed fee and became a stalwart in the Baggies’ defence.

He made the switch to Leicester City in 2018 and was an integral player in their 2020/21 FA Cup winning campaign. After being released by the Foxes in 2023, he later joined United on a free transfer - initially on a short-term deal.

He has since become a crucial part of United’s squad and is regularly called upon when the Red Devils change personnel.

Jonny Evans impressed against Aston Villa (Credit:Getty)

After the draw at Villa, Evans described how he still feels he has the assets to play at the top level.

"I still feel like I'm playing the game I always have, I still feel like I have speed in the legs to get me out of the bad moments. [Ten Hag] told me after the game the other night I'd play in this one,” he said.

"Even the match against Porto, I wasn't expecting to come on. It's unlikely to have a double centre-back substitution.

"Every match I play now, I just enjoy it. It's still a privilege to play for this club. The pressures that come with it, it's part of it.

"You see the fans at the end, the support they give the team. They have supported the players massively over the years. It was great for him [Erik ten Hag] to see that.”