HENNING Berg believes Phil Jones’ move to Manchester United will help Blackburn Rovers to continue producing the cream of the country’s young talent.

The 19-year-old’s £16.5million switch to Old Trafford still has yet to go through with the clubs understood to be involved in a legal cash wrangle over the terms of the deal.

Sources close to the Premier League champions and Jones himself remain adamant he will be at Old Trafford next season, despite the disappointment of Venky’s at losing their highly rated defender.

Venky’s are understood to have been desperate to keep Jones at Ewood Park, having offered him a bumper deal to stay, and officials were yesterday still in discussions about the value of the player despite him having passed a medical and agreed personal terms.

Former Rovers defender Berg though, who became the country’s most expensive defender when he left Ewood for United for £5million back in 1997, believes Jones’ imminent switch can only be good for Rovers’ future.

Berg said: “What a message it sends out to every young player at Blackburn Rovers. On a wider scale every young player and every parent will see what joining and playing for Blackburn Rovers can do for your career.

“If Blackburn had stood in his way it would have upset the player and it would also put off the top young talent joining the club. That is football and there is no way Blackburn would be able to stop a player joining the second best team in Europe.

“Blackburn Rovers are not going to be challenging for the top four. What this move will do is encourage more young players to come through the ranks and it also provides the money to add three or four quality players to the squad.

“If Blackburn can keep doing this then one day maybe they will be in the position where they don’t have to sell their top young players because they will back challenging at the top themselves.

“The academy at Blackburn has got a great reputation and the better the reputation the better results it will get. It is a great result for all the efforts that have been put in at that end.”

Berg, now manager of Lillestrom in Norway, made almost 300 appearances for Rovers in two spells at the club between 1993 and 2003, including winning the Premier League title.

He won another two Premier League winners medals with Manchester United, and believes Jones is moving to Old Trafford at the perfect time.

He said: “It is a fantastic move for him. I don’t think there will be too much pressure on him, even at such a big price, because he is so young. No one will expect too much from him.

“He will be given time to grow into the club. If he left it a few years there would be more expectation on him. When he does get his chance though it is important he takes his chance.

“Rovers can add three or four players with the money they get and that has to be a good thing for the club.”