Sir Alex Ferguson cited the arrival of Jones, along with the presence of Jonny Evans and Chris Smalling, as the reasons why Ferdinand can no longer be certain of a starting spot at Old Trafford. With the 32-year-old's England prospects also on the wane, it seems there are plenty ready to write Ferdinand off - but Jones is not amongst them. It will not stop him giving everything in a battle to keep him out of the team, but the £17million summer capture from Blackburn is eager to soak up all the lessons he can from someone who has achieved so much in his career. "Rio is a fantastic player," said Jones. "His age is just a number. "I learn a lot from him every day in training. He always helping me, always talking to me and that is massive." Jones' performances at right-back have not come through watching Ferdinand though. Again he excelled in Wednesday night's Champions League win over Otelul Galati, providing the cross for Antonio Valencia's early opener. His omission from Stuart Pearce's Under-21 squad points to selection in what is likely to be a youthful England squad for the friendlies with Spain and Sweden when it is announced on Sunday. And Jones admits he is living the dream at present. "I came here to play games and perhaps I didn't expect to play so many games so soon," said the 19-year-old. "I'm happy to play anywhere in the team, whether it's centre-back or right-back. I'm just enjoying it."
