MANCHESTER UNITED centre-back Phil Jones showed lockdown bad-boys Jack Grealish and Kyle Walker how to stick to coronavirus guidelines – with a solo stroll near his home in Cheshire.
Aston Villa skipper Grealish crashed his £80,000 Range Rover and Manchester City’s England defender Walker hosted a sex party with a friend and two call girls – despite urging fans to stay at home.
But with controversy also flaring over whether Premier League players should take a 30% pay cut, Jones showed no hint of stress as he used his allowed exercise time outside for a relaxed walk.
Prem stars have all been put on strict fitness regimes inside, but Jones never broke a sweat in the fresh air as he strolled in dark sports gear and a cap, albeit checking his phone from time to time.
Unfortunately for the 28-year-old, he had not been getting much more action on the pitch before the Covid-19 pandemic halted football indefinitely last month.
Having made just eight appearances for United this term, the 28-cap ace is a likely candidate for a summer exit after slipping way down the pecking order.
Boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been using a rearguard of Victor Lindelof, Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw, with Eric Bailly and Axel Tuanzebe the main back-ups.
But just as the coronavirus began to hit hard in Britain, Jones was linled with a £12million summer switch to Newcastle.
So as he popped out for a walk, Jones knew his career, like the conclusion to the Prem season, is up in the air.
Utd as a squad, and especially Marcus Rashford as an individual, have spearheaded Prem players’ financial response to the pandemic.
Old Trafford aces turned 30% of a month’s salary into a £1million donation to the NHS in Manchester.
And striker Rashford has so far helped charity FareShare raise £20million to feed needy kids while schools are closed due to coronavirus.
But all the worries of the current situation looked a million miles from the mind of Jones as he took advantage of the sudden sunny spell to stretch his legs outside.
