Stones John
John Stones is an English professional footballer who plays as a centre back for the England national team. Stones began his career with Barnsley, making his first-team debut in the Championship in March 2012 as a 17-year-old. He joined Premier League club Everton for around £3 million in January 2013 and amassed 95 appearances over four seasons. In August 2016, he signed for Manchester City for an initial £47.5 million with add-ons. He won the Premier League in 2018 and 2019, the EFL Cup in 2018, 2019 and 2020, and the FA Cup in 2019 as well. Stones made his senior debut for England in May 2014 after previously being capped by England youth teams at under-19, under-20 and under-21 levels. He was chosen in England’s squads for UEFA Euro 2016 and the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
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Known for his technical ability and physical presence, Stones is celebrated for being a ball-playing centre back. Teammates and coaches have praised his composure with the ball, defensive skills, range of passing, vision and versatility. Joleon Lescott said of his ability: “John can do things most defenders can’t – a little feign here and there, maybe a turn to get out of trouble when he needs to – and that’s what is going to set him apart from others – the ability to do things others can’t. He’ll do his job and defend well, but there will be moments when he does something special and you’ll just go ‘ah, that’s why he’s regarded as the best.’ He doesn’t seem to get fazed by anything and always seems calm and he never hides”. Manchester City and England teammate Kyle Walker added “You don’t quite appreciate him until you are playing alongside him. He rarely gets beat, he is great on the ball and he is very calm and level-headed.” He developed his ball-playing style early in his career with many crediting Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola for his later development. His range of passing has led to comparisons with Rio Ferdinand, Gerard Piqué, Jérôme Boateng, Pep Guardiola and Franz Beckenbauer.
