Phil Jones has backed Manchester United to challenge for the Premier League title next season, insisting that there is little between his side and champions Chelsea.
The Red Devils finished sixth in the English top flight this term, 24 points adrift of the country's top side in a campaign that saw them draw an unrivalled 15 times.
Ten of those draws came at Old Trafford, and Jones concedes that Europa League winners United must now make the most of their chances if they are to close the gap on those above them in the year to come.
"There is no doubt that when everyone is fit and everyone is playing well and confident we can take on anyone," he told the club's official website. "We're not scared of anyone and we don't look at other clubs and think we're miles away from them, far from it. But we know we can certainly challenge better than we have done this season in the league.
"It's been tough at times, especially at home when we've created loads of chances but there has been some goalkeeping heroics or we've made the wrong pass at the key time, but ultimately I think we've had a good season.
"Collectively as a squad whoever has played in the games and travelled has dug deep and we thoroughly deserved to get to the Europa final. We worked hard to get there and ultimately the Champions League is where we want to be and the football we want to be playing next season. That's where the club belongs and we had to earn that right. We've learnt a lot from the experience and that can only help us."
Jones appeared 26 times for United in all competitions during the 2016-17 campaign, but was not used in the 2-0 win over Ajax in last week's Stockholm final.
Daniel Lewis
