Phil Jones hails United “idol” Wayne Rooney

Wayne Rooney’s days as Manchester United’s star player may be over but centre-back Phil Jones insists the captain is still the heartbeat of the club.

Rooney equalled Sir Bobby Charlton’s goal scoring record at United, netting his 249th in Saturday’s 4-0 FA Cup win over Reading.

It is inevitable that the 31-year-old will break that record as long as he remains fit, with plenty of games on the horizon for United – who remain in four competitions, with the FA Cup, EFL Cup and Europa League running alongside the Premier League.

This season has seen Rooney restricted to a bit-part role, with new signings Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Paul Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan easing him out of the first team.

Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images

But Jones, who has emerged as key defender since Jose Mourinho arrived last summer, insists the England striker is still idolised at the club and remains vital to their chances of success.

“He’s the go-to guy. Everyone knows that. Everyone knows that the likes of him and Michael Carrick, they are the people in the dressing room that the lads certainly look up to. We are all proud of Wayne,” he said.

“It is a tremendous achievement. We were all rooting for him to break that record and he has equalled it now so hopefully he can go one better and I’m sure he will.

“He has been a fantastic servant, not just for Manchester United and England but football in general. He is a player who people idolise and look up to, so all credit to him.”