Wrexham director explains Phil Jones appearance beside Ryan Reynolds
Director says ex-Man United defender attended as a guest invited by the club's chief executive; Jones focusing on coaching and sport directorship after retirement.
A Wrexham director has explained why former Manchester United defender Phil Jones was pictured alongside Hollywood co-owner Ryan Reynolds in the stands during last weekend's Championship clash with QPR, a 3-1 defeat that left the Welsh club 21st in the table.
Shaun Harvey, a Wrexham director and former EFL chief executive, told the Fearless in Devotion podcast that Jones attended the game as a guest of chief executive Michael Williamson because the two men live close to one another. ‘Poor old Phil Jones came as a guest of Michael Williamson to the game, because they live very close together,’ Harvey said. ‘If we had won that game on Saturday, nobody would have cared less that he was there.’ He added that the appearance was long before the result and there was no hidden agenda other than Jones’ ongoing learning as a former player.
Jones, 33, left Manchester United in 2023 after 12 years at Old Trafford and spent a season out of the game before retiring. He began his career at Blackburn Rovers, joining United for £16.5 million in 2011 and going on to win the Premier League in Sir Alex Ferguson’s final season, despite a career blighted by injuries. Since retirement, Jones has spent time working in United’s academy as he contemplates a coaching career. This week he also completed a diploma in sport directorship with the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA).
In a telephone interview with the PFA, Jones said the course has given him a clear pathway for life after playing and that coaching remains a serious option, alongside potential leadership roles off the pitch. ‘This is something I decided I wanted to do when I retired,’ Jones said. ‘I’ve really enjoyed it, it’s been a good networking opportunity as well as an educational one, and I’m really excited about what doors it opens in the future. I like the coaching side of the game, and I’m still really ambitious about that, but I needed something else as well.’
There is no indication Jones is set to join Wrexham, and Harvey’s remarks were intended to put the matter to rest. The club did not announce any appointment tied to Jones, who remains focused on preparing for a post-playing career rather than a return to active football.