‘I was unaware,’ says Rio Ferdinand as Man Utd icon gives Phil Jones heartfelt public apology on camera after criticism

RIO FERDINAND has publically apologised to Phil Jones for demanding helium discontinue Manchester United.

Jones, 32, officially retired successful the summertime aft making conscionable 5 appearances successful his past 3 seasons astatine the club.

The defender battled persistent genu injuries and was retired for 20 months with his worst issue.

Jones has since admitted helium struggled mentally portion stuck successful the attraction room.

Meanwhile, Ferdinand was unaware of his erstwhile team-mate's struggles and criticised the determination to support him astatine Old Trafford.

But helium has present fixed Jones a heartfelt apology to his look arsenic helium joined him connected his amusement Rio Ferdinand presents.

He said: "Firstly, I person said atrocious publically and I volition accidental it to your look present - atrocious for criticising you.

"He wasn't playing for a agelong play of clip and I was similar 'he's got to spell retired and play'.

"I knew this kid erstwhile helium was 18 and came to Man Utd, helium wants to play football, wherefore is helium sitting there?

"Is it the crest of Man Utd that helium wants connected his chest, is helium staying for his ain ego?

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"Just spell and play immoderate shot and get retired of the mode fto different young kid travel done due to the fact that you're stifling idiosyncratic else's maturation maybe.

"But Ole Gunnar Solskjaer texted maine and helium said 'you are evidently not alert but helium has been injured for a agelong time'.

"I thought 's***, wherefore has cipher told me?' But I was unaware of the situation.

"I wanted to accidental sorry, I anticipation you bash not justice maine and it was not personal."

Jones admitted that Ferdinand's disapproval wounded owed to his legendary presumption astatine Man Utd and the information they utilized to play together.

And helium revealed helium was successful specified a "dark place" mentally that helium did not privation to scope retired to Ferdinand to explicate his wounded battles.

Jones, who wants to spell into management, antecedently said helium utilized to hide his injuries from his team-mates due to the fact that helium did not privation them to spot him struggling.

He said: "My coping mechanics erstwhile I had immoderate problems was to enactment silent, and that was astir apt my downfall.

"I didn't unfastened up to anyone, and I would fell my injuries from different players and the staff. I enactment a shield up truthful no-one knew what was going on, isolated from my adjacent family.

"One of my lowest moments was erstwhile I was trying to play done the symptom of my genu injury, erstwhile it had got to a constituent wherever the doc had to inject my genu earlier each crippled I played truthful I didn't consciousness it.

"It was embarrassing for maine due to the fact that I didn't privation anyone to spot that I was struggling oregon successful pain.

"I was meant to beryllium a pugnacious feline arsenic a defender, remember, truthful I went into a cubicle successful the changing country conscionable arsenic the manager started his pre-match speech and got the doc to inject maine successful there."