Blackburn Rovers coach Gary Bowyer admits Manchester United defender Phil Jones was actually dropped for some games with the academy.

Jones moved to United from Rovers in the summer.

Bowyer told the Daily Mail: "Phil arrived at the academy as a goalscoring outside right after being spotted in a local kids' cup final. We moved him to central midfield, then to centre half - and that's where he began to make his mark for the Under 16s and 18s.

"I've heard people say he didn't necessarily look head and shoulders above everyone else and I can see what they mean. He did really well in his first year after being taken on full time, but not quite so well in a couple of games after that.

"In fact, we left him out after a couple of mistakes in a youth team game at Nottingham Forest. There was a stray back pass that went straight to one of their players and he was out of position for another of their goals. It's a measure of his determination to put things right, though, that he was making his first-team debut in the Carling Cup within a year."