Van Gaal tipped Giggs to be his successor, Neville landed the Lionesses job
Phil Jones has joined a list of illustrious former Manchester United players by taking his coaches badges at Old Trafford.
The former England international revealed earlier this week he'd enrolled on a PFA global football sport directorship course and confirmed he was currently doing his coaching badges - including work with his former club.
Jones left United upon the expiry of his contract earlier this summer after 12 years with the club and has since been back at Carrington to watch training sessions involving United youth teams.
The 31-year-old follows in the footsteps of a long list of ex-United players, including Ryan Giggs and Michael Carrick, who began their coaching careers at Old Trafford.
Here, Mail Sport looks at how they have fared.
Ryan Giggs
One of the several players to take his coaching badges while still playing for United, Giggs joined David Moyes' staff as a player-coach in the summer of 2013 after the Scot succeeded Sir Alex Ferguson.
When Moyes' ill-fated spell at Old Trafford ended nine months later, the former Welsh captain took over as interim manager for the remaining four matches of the season and was subsequently named Louis van Gaal's assistant following his appointment.
Van Gaal suggested that Giggs, who made a record 963 appearances over 23 years at United, could even replace him as permanent manager.
Ed Woodward, however, had other ideas and unceremoniously defenestrated the Dutchman to appoint Jose Mourinho in the summer of 2016.
Giggs left United a month later and eventually took the Wales job in 2018, before being replaced by Rob Page in an interim capacity following his assault charges two years later.
The charges were eventually dropped but Giggs is yet to return to coaching.
Phil Neville
Neville
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