Jones' Debt To Vidic

Phil Jones admits Manchester United team-mate Nemanja Vidic has been a huge influence on his career.

The skipper is departing Old Trafford in the summer after agreeing a switch to Inter Milan under the Bosman Ruling but is continuing to teach his younger colleagues some valuable lessons.

Vidic started alongside Rio Ferdinand when interim manager Ryan Giggs selected his first team at the weekend, with Jones deployed at right-back and impressing in helping to keep a clean sheet against Norwich City.

When asked by United Review, the official matchday programme, about the biggest thing he has learned from Vidic, Jones replied: "It's just his all-round game. From his communication to his passing to his tackling to his heading, he's got some many great attributes.

"You learn off him every day in training, even if he doesn't say anything, you just watch and learn. He's been a huge influence on my career at United and has really helped me along the way. I owe him a lot and I am grateful for everything he's done."

In terms of the defence as a whole, the key to success is continuity and consistency in the England international's opinion.

"There are different elements to it," he explained. "Communication and concentration, of course, but I think you always want to have a settled back four. That helps everyone in the defence and it's something that's been difficult for us at times this season because of injuries. We all just want to keep improving defensively and as a team as a whole."