Manchester United defender Phil Jones “generally doesn’t care” about being the subject of criticism.
Jones has not quite lived up to former manager Sir Alex Ferguson’s 2013 prediction that he could become United’s “best ever player”.
Injuries and a lack of consistency have seen the 26-year-old struggle to hold down a regular starting place at Old Trafford, but he remains one of the club’s longest-serving players after joining in summer 2011.
The defender signed a new four-year deal last week, the reaction to which ranged from underwhelmed to downright angry.
But Jones remains unperturbed by the critics.
“Listen, I don’t lose sleep over what people say about me,” the England international said. “It’s football.
“I’m going to get criticism in the future, I’m going to get criticism in the past. Honestly, I generally don’t care.
“I have a wonderful family, wonderful friends. I play football for Man United and I’ve been given an extra contract and I’m grateful for that and thankful for that. It’s great.”
It is the kind of thick skin required at a club like United, whose desire to improve at centre-back under Mourinho was clear throughout the summer.
A variety of different names were mentioned but Jones was not stung by that hunt for new faces.
“If I’m being brutally honest, not really at all,” the centre-back said. “Since I’ve come to the club, we’ve signed players left, right and centre: forwards, defenders, goalkeepers.
“Listen, we’re Man United, of course we’re interested in the best players in the world. I’d be pretty amazed if we weren’t, so yeah, it’s great.”