Phil Jones has detailed how a rare weekend off from Manchester United went awry after a couple of pints.

The iconic centre-half joined the Red Devils from Blackburn Rovers in 2011, spending 12 years at Old Trafford before parting ways with the club last summer. He worked with a number of top-tier managers in his time at the club, including Sir Alex Ferguson, David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Erik ten Hag and Portuguese mastermind Jose Mourinho.

And it was the latter who the 32-year-old believes got the best football out of him over the years. Speaking about his relationship with Mourinho on the High Performance podcast, Jones said: "At times, I wasn't starting under him straight away. He needed to see what I was about and who I was as a player - this person and player that everyone has talked about.

"First thing he said to me was like 'Are you fit?'. I was like 'Yeah'. I think other than Sir Alex Ferguson's era, I played my best football under Jose Mourinho. I really did." When asked: "What did he do?" Jones replied: "He just got me and he understood how to manage me. He partnered me up with Marcos Rojo, who was an absolute animal by the way - like animal, you would not want to meet him in the back street.

"I'm gonna quote this but I think it might be give or take. I think we played 21 games together and I think we had like 16 clean sheets. I can't remember the amount of games but we had so many clean sheets and we were on such a roll. And Mourinho was that guy that if I had a problem, I would play for. Not that you wouldn't play for, of course I would, but you'd try even harder to be fit for.

"And I just played well under him. I know some people have had different experiences, and listen, everybody doesn't get along with everybody. Everybody's going to have relationships where you're not keen on that person. That's just life. I remember I played one game at home in the Premier League and then it was the cup game at the weekend.

"We were playing Reading, and he text me that night and he said 'Well done today, go out for food tonight - take your wife out for dinner and have a few drinks. I don't need you at the weekend, see you Monday'. So I was like 'That's brilliant'. Jose Mourinho's text you and said that.

"He just knew that maybe two games in a week wasn't right for me. He needed me, I needed him, and it was just sort of that relationship and for that period of time I always say it's one of the best footballing periods I've played."

A Night Out Goes Awry

However, the centre-half confessed that the weekend off didn't quite go to plan - with Mourinho needing him for the fixture in the end after one of his United team-mates had dropped out of the squad. He added: "And then funnily enough, someone actually pulled out of the squad and I'd had three or four pints - which I never do because I'm not a drinker at all. Never have been.

"Then someone text me that night saying 'They need you in the squad for the next morning'. I'm like 'You've got to be joking, I've just had three pints'. Three or four pints which is way more than I'd ever have. And then low and behold, after five minutes Marcos Rojo came off and I'm on the pitch. I played 85 minutes. I played unbelievable."

Instead of being cheesed off about the situation, Jones took a care-free approach, adding: "That scenario is just letting go of everything and you just don't care. You've had three pints, so what. You've got a job to do, you go and do it. It's just having that realisation in your head of don't worry about everything else. Don't worry about what you're doing or what people are thinking. Just go and do it. Go and do what you do best."

A Rare Weekend Off

Jones played 229 games for Manchester United across all competitions, lifting the his only Premier League trophy under Ferguson in the 2012/13 campaign. He also won an FA Cup with the Red Devils in 2015/16, a Europa League in 2016/17 and two FA Community Shields.

Jones's anecdote showcases the unpredictable nature of professional football and the trust Mourinho had in his players. It also highlights the importance of having a strong bond with the manager, as Jones was willing to step up even after a night out, thanks to Mourinho's understanding and his own desire to prove himself.

Despite his career coming to an end at Manchester United, Jones is still a fan favorite and his story shows that even the most successful players have unexpected and hilarious moments. He will be remembered for his tenacity and determination on the pitch, as well as his ability to rise to the challenge, no matter what.