Ritchie Jones

Ritchie Jones was a product of Manchester United`s youth academy, having been at the Premiership club since the age of nine, during which time he represented England at every level from under-15 to under-20. He managed five first team appearances while at Old Trafford, all in Carling Cup and FA Cup ties, though he was named on the bench for a couple of games in the Premiership and Champions League. The midfielder`s only other first team experience as a Manchester United player were in loan spells at Royal Antwerp and a number of Football League clubs.

Jones caught the interest of a few clubs in the Football League when he was released by Alex Ferguson in the summer of 2008. He came close to signing for Port Vale before Pools boss Danny Wilson pounced to bring the 21-year-old to Victoria Park. He was handed a place on the right of midfield for the opening game of the 2008/09 season against Colchester and responded with a goal in the 4-2 win, becoming the first Pools player to score on his debut for five years.