Jones: We Know What's Expected On Tour

Phil Jones has had many tastes of life on tour with Manchester United since 2011 when he joined the club in time for his first trip, to the United States. We asked the defender for his thoughts on the Reds returning across the pond this summer...

When someone says 'pre-season' to you, what immediately springs to mind?
Hard work! [Laughs] A lot of travelling, and time and effort being put in by everyone. But it’s all about getting ready for the start of the season and preparing for the first game.

Jose Mourinho has been able to really plan this summer's tour after managing the squad for a year now. How much are the players looking forward to starting work with him again?
Everyone is looking forward to it. We know exactly what the manager expects from us and he knows the players inside and out. He’ll have organised this pre-season period exactly how he wants it - when we’ll train, when we’ll rest and when we'll have commercial work to do. I'm sure it will be a great tour and I’m looking forward to it.

What are your memories of your first United tour?
I remember my first game against Chicago Fire and the heat being unbearable! I was trying so hard as well, with it being my first game, as I didn’t want people to think I was just a kid who had come in to sit on the bench and be a bit-part player. It was tough but a good learning curve.

There are seven games on the pre-season schedule. How will that affect the players?
The more matches you play, the more match-fit you are and seven games will give everyone a chance to get minutes under their belts. You need everyone at a good level for the start of the season.

You'll play against Barcelona, Manchester City and Real Madrid among other teams on this tour. Is there still a buzz around games against big clubs, even when they’re friendly fixtures?
Of course, they’re big names and they have big-name players in their sides. We’ve often played against these kinds of teams in pre-season and it's exciting for the fans in the States to come to the games. It’s also good for some of the young players who travel with us to experience matches like that. You can take a lot of positives from pre-season and look forward to the start of the season.