Jones: Fellaini is a danger to England
PHIL Jones has given an insight into why Jose Mourinho was so desperate to keep hold of Marouane Fellaini.
The Belgium international is set to sign a new two-year contract at United after making a U-turn on his decision to leave the club.
It has left his critics dumbfounded, with some Reds fans taking to social media to voice their discontent.
But Mourinho hugely values the 30-year-old’s game-changing qualities and lobbied for him to get a new deal.
Ahead of England’s Group G clash with Belgium tonight, Jones outlined the qualities that have made Fellaini such an important part of Mourinho’s plans.
“We know what Felli is capable of,” said the centre-back. “He’s a difficult player to play against. He’s tall, he’s strong.
“I’m sure the United lads will try to give the others an insight into how he plays.
“I remember playing against him for United when he played for Everton and he’s difficult. He’s a different type of player to the ones you come up against in the Premier League.
“We’ll study that and relish the challenge of playing against him.”
Another United player, Romelu Lukaku, is a doubt for Belgium after injuring his ankle in the 5-2 win against Tunisia last week.
The striker, who has scored four goals in Russia, is one behind Harry Kane in the race to win the Golden Boot.
“Romelu is a good player,” added Jones. “He’s strong, quick and he scores goals.
“There is more than just Lukaku to worry about and we’ve got a number of very good players in our team they need to be worried about too.”
One of those is Jesse Lingard, whose rise under Mourinho has seen him become a key figure in Gareth Southgate’s England team.
Jones said: “I see it week in, week out. From when he came into the United squad he’s come on incredible amounts.
“He’s a hugely talented player – technically very good with both feet. The pockets of space he finds himself in, it’s very difficult to pick him up. He’s a huge asset for club and country.”
Meanwhile, Jones believes the clash that will determine who tops the group will have an English feel about it.
“It’s almost like a Premier League match, barring a few players,” he said. “We know what we’re up against, we know their players inside out and know what we’ve got to do.”