Former England defender Phil Jones has won his first senior coaching post since deciding to finish his playing career with Manchester United in the summer of 2024.
Phil Jones has been introduced as part of Blackburn Rovers’ new-look coaching staff, after the Championship club’s appointment of Michael O’Neill as head coach on a deal until the end of the season.
Rovers have been looking for a new manager since firing Valerien Ismael earlier this month following an eight-game winless streak. The club presently sits in the Championship’s final relegation spot, with a goal differential that keeps them in the bottom three.
Following much speculation, O’Neill, the Northern Ireland national team’s head coach, was named on Friday as Ismael’s replacement at Ewood Park.
Jones, who came through Blackburn’s system, is part of O’Neill’s new support staff, which also includes Steve Davis and Damien Johnson, the latter of whom will play against Queens Park Rangers this Saturday.
The former Manchester United defender, 33, retired in August 2024. The position marks his first excursion into senior coaching since retiring from a playing career that saw him make over 200 appearances for the Red Devils, winning the Premier League, FA Cup, and Europa League.
He stated a desire to become a coach after retiring and worked with youth teams at Old Trafford before moving on.
Blackburn’s decision to hire O’Neill, who will remain Northern Ireland’s head coach while juggling both duties, follows negotiations with Gary Rowett, the former Millwall and Oxford United manager.
Rowett soon emerged as the front-runner for the Ewood Park job and remained unattached when Oxford fired him in December.
The 51-year-old has a strong record at Championship level, having supervised many play-off battles at Millwall and kept Oxford in the division last season.
It is thought that Rowett has had additional Championship interest in his services.
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