Former Manchester United defender Phil Jones has revealed that abuse from trolls took a heavy toll on his mental health during his playing days.
Phil Jones announced his retirement from professional football in August, stating his intention to pursue a career in coaching.
The defender, who often showed his versatility by filling in at full-back or in midfield, made 229 appearances in an injury-hit 12 years at Old Trafford.
Jones first tore his meniscus as an 18-year-old at Blackburn and would struggle with problems in his knee throughout his career.
His regular absences and somehwat unique style of defending saw him ridiculed both online and in the street.
Phil Jones has opened up on his struggles with mental health during his playing days
And he has opened up on the impact it had on him and how he found it extremely difficult to deal with.
The 32-year-old told The Sun: 'I'd been through that much trauma mentally. Anybody who tells you that it doesn't is lying. And as footballers you have to put this mask on.
'You get paid a lot of money so you are not allowed to have feelings or emotions. The physical injuries made me mentally weak at times.
'But my coping mechanism was to be silent, put my guard up, my shield up around with my really close family. I wouldn't even really communicate with my friends that well.'
Jones revealed that abuse from trolls left him no longer wanting to go out in public
'You'd go past people in the street and they'd say something and it would really aggravate you and get to you.
'You just hear people whispering, 'Oh there he is, f**king injury-prone'. People say, 'you shouldn't take that money then. 'If they only knew what I was doing behind the scenes to get right.
'I found it really hard to go to restaurants for years. You put your head down when you're walking through crowds and stuff. I didn't want people to spot me.'
Jones was part of the team which won the Premier League in 2012-13, as legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson walked away after 27 years at the club, and in the next decade added a Europa League, FA Cup and League Cup to his trophy cabinet.
The defender, who moved to Old Trafford from Blackburn in 2011, also made 27 appearances for his national team, taking to the pitch three times in major tournaments .
Shortly after the start of the 2023-24 campaign, Jones confirmed he had enrolled on a PFA global football sport directorship course and confirmed was doing his coaching badges - including work at United.