The player with the longest service in The Manchester United first team should be Flying General Jones.
The centre-back, once considered the backbone of United's future defence, has spent much of his career battling injuries.
But Manchester United fans love him, ridicule is ridicule, and no one will question Jones's commitment to the game.
Time flew by and in the blink of an eye he had been with Manchester United for 11 years. He is also the only player in the current Manchester United squad who has lifted the Premier League trophy with the team, and the other is the team's goalkeeper De Gea.
Jones' career curve at Manchester United is typical of the high-open-low movement. He was England's most promising centre-back when he joined Manchester United and had the potential to be transformed into a back.d'.
The old man paired him with Smalling, a centre-back duo considered the backbone of United's future, and it was thought that their career prospects would be even better than Ferdinand and Vidic.
But the imagination is beautiful, the reality is cruel. Jones' highest seasons were the 2011/2012 and 2013/2014 seasons. The rest of the time, he was plagued by injuries, and from the beginning of the 2019/2020 season, Jones gradually moved away from the starting lineup.
Jones has not been given a chance so far this season, and he is the only player who has not played in the first team of United's first-team defenders, having only made three appearances in the U23.
Last month, the Sun exclusively revealed that 13 teams have taken a fancy to Jones, and the winter transfer window is about to open, with the Daily Mail reporting that Benfica of the Portuguese Premier League hopes to loan Jones in January.
Benfica wants to go on loan to Jones to find a rotation of substitutes for Otamendi and Vertonghen. At present, Benfica is in third place in the Portuguese Premier League, they are only four points behind Porto at the top of the table, and the pressure to compete for the title is very large.
They are the most attacking in the league, scoring 46 goals in the Portuguese Premier League, but conceding 12 goals and only finish third.
Jones, who is already 29 years old, is a good choice if he wants to continue his football career, leaving the team on loan is a good choice. A glassy player like Jones, being able to travel to a team with a steady playing time is the best option for him to regain his ability and mentality.
His current contract with Manchester United expires in 2023 and in his current situation, there is only one way to go on loan.