Ferguson warns Ferdinand and Vidic to beware the threat of Jones

Sir Alex Ferguson has warned Rio Ferdinand andNemanja Vidic that Phil Jones will be fighting for their first-team places this season.

The £16million summer signing from Blackburn was viewed in many quarters as one for the future, with him and Chris Smalling eventually replacing Ferdinand and Vidic in the centre of the Manchester Uniteddefence.

But Ferguson believes the England Under-21 captain will be ready for senior action sooner rather than later.

Fergie said: “You think he might not play, but the ability he’s got and the determination he’s got, he could quite easily play. There’s no question about that. He’s the future, obviously, but he could certainly come in right away.”

Ferguson also revealed he has been keeping tabs on 19-year-old Jones ever since he was initially spotted playing for Blackburn’s juniors.

The Scot added: “He was first identified when he played for Blackburn’s youth team against us a couple of years ago – when they beat us 3-0.

“He was absolutely magnificent. So we kept our eyes on the situation and obviously in the season just gone we managed to get him.”

Read the full interview with Sir Alex Ferguson in the new issue of Inside United magazine, out on August 3