Jones Steps Up To The Mark

Phil Jones felt he stepped up to the plate as he excelled in the 3-0 win against Tottenham.

After admitting the Old Trafford atmosphere was everything he anticipated it would be, the summer signing from Blackburn settled quickly alongside Jonny Evans and helped keep a clean sheet.

"It helps having a week to prepare," he explained to Sky Sports. "It’s disappointing that Rio [Ferdinand] and Nemanja [Vidic] are injured. You don’t want to lose your best players, especially at the start of the season, but I knew I had my chance to step up to the plate tonight and hopefully I’ve showed the gaffer I can do it."

Jones, still under 19, is adapting to life with United and explained how enjoyable it is to play with his new team-mates.

"It’s incredible," he enthused. "The fans were unbelievable. I knew it would be like this. I was just excited to be out there and pleased with the three points in the end.

"I think it’s the tempo of the game that's the biggest difference. No disrespect to Blackburn, I enjoyed my time there, but it's the speed at which we play. The gaffer and Rene [Meulensteen] have been saying all week how much energy we’ve got in the side. That showed today and it’s paid off."