The English footballer, John Stones plays as a center-back for the Premier League club, Manchester City, and also the England national team. He began his career at the tender age of 17 with Barnsley.
John Stones is known for his technical ability, defensive skills, versatility, and good range of passing. Despite the challenges he faced when he was trying to get promoted to the professional stage, Stones has proved so many wrong with his athletic tactics and determination.
The English player has become a household name in the world of football in his country and even beyond.
Is he the best defender?
Stones was listed as one of the top 50 best defenders in world football as of May 22, 2021. This did not come as a surprise as he has worked so hard in the past years and surely deserves this.
Footballcritic places John Stones among the top three on the list. In the 2020/2021 Premier League season. It was said that Manchester City had the best defense in the league as well as the best center backs too.
John stones completed 93.14% of his passes in the Premier League season 2020-21.
Here are 10 fascinating things about John Stone
1. John Stone was born in Barnsley
The English player was born on 28 May 1994 in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, United Kingdom. His parents are Janet and Peter Stones. Stones was raised in Thurgoland.
He attended Penistone Grammar School.
2. At the age of 15, he lacked physical strength
John Stone is said to have had problems getting promoted to a professional stage. Stone lacked physical strength at that time so he had to hold on for a year in Barnsley academy’s under-14s. This delayed his progress to the under-18 level.
3. John Stone’s club career
The 55-year old talented center-back player began his club career at the Barnsley youth academy. He made his debut in the championship on 17 March 2012. Stones scored his only goal for Barnsley in a League Cup with Rochdale on 11 August 2012. He later had his league start in a 1-0 win against Middlesbrough.
On 31 January 2013, Stones signed a five and half year deal with Everton for an estimated transfer fee of £3 million.
John stone made his debut for Everton in the League Cup against Stevenage on 28 august 2013. He also made his league debut as a late substitute for Steven Naismith in a 1-0 home win over Chelsea on 14 September 2013.
The English player renewed his contract with Everton on 7 August 2014. In October 2014, Stones had an ankle injury and he was ruled out for 10-14 weeks. He was later listed among the nominees for the Golden Boy 2014 Award despite his injury.
John Stone was reportedly wanted for three bids from Chelsea but all were rejected by Everton. In the three bids, Chelsea offered £20 million, £26 million, and £30 million respectively. He even placed a request to leave but the club refused to let him go.
The 6 feet 2 inches player became the world’s second most expensive defender in history after Manchester City signed him for a six-year deal worth £47.5 with a potential extra £2.5 million in add-ons.
Stones made his debut for the club in a 2-1 home win over Sunderland. He continued to play well in the club until he suffered another injury in March 2018. He again suffered another muscle injury during training in September 2019.
Stones scored the opening goal on January 6, 2021, in an away win at Old Trafford against Manchester United in the League Cup semi-final.
John Stones scored his first and second premier league goals on January 17, 2021, for Manchester City in a 4-0 home win against Crystal Place.
4. He was part of the 21-man squad for the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup
In May 2013, John Stone was part of Peter Taylor’s 21-man squad for the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup. Stone made his debut for England on June 16 in a win against Uruguay.
The English player scored his first two international goals on 24, June in a 6-1 win victory over Panama during the second group stage match at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
During the 2019 UEFA Nations League Finals, john stone was said to have made an error in the semi-final against the Netherlands which led to one of the goals the opponent scored. Because of this, the manager, Gareth Southgate had to drop him from the third-place match against Switzerland.
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5. Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola is credited for helping Stone with his style of play
During his early days in his career, Stones’ skills were first molded and shaped by Barnsley manager Paul Heckingbottom at the Barnsley youth academy. The manager also credited the Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola for stones growth in his professional career.
6. John Stones dated Millie Savage for nine years
The English player started dating Millie Savage when they were both 12 years old. Unfortunately, the childhood sweethearts split up in December 2018 after nine years of dating.
Before they separated, the two had a lovely daughter together. Reports have it that it was the footballer who walked out of the relationship and he had received some backlash for that. Even Savage’s family was devastated by his decision.
The English player is rumored to be dating Olivia Naylor weeks after he and his daughter’s mother split. Olivia Naylor is a beautician in Manchester.
7. John Stones cheating affair
Before he ended things with Millie Savage, he was accused of cheating on her with a lady called Jessica. The latter did not know Stones was dating Millie Savage at that time. The relationship ended when Jessica discovered he was still in a relationship. She even reached out to Savage on social media to apologize.
8. John Stones was forced to leave his home
Stones was once a target by angry Everton fans who felt that he betrayed the club by requesting to leave. He was almost attacked in his home in Widnes, Cheshire. He stayed in a hotel for some time before things got calm.
9. Salary and net worth
His deal with Manchester city included an annual average salary of £5,200,000. His weekly salary is said to be an estimated sum of £100,000. John Stones has an estimated net worth of €45 million. His current market value is €30 million as of March 21, 2021.
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10. Awards and honors
John Stones has some individual awards as well as team awards and honors. He won the Everton Young Player for the Season 2014-15.
Also, his national team came third place in the UEFA Nations League in 2018-19. Manchester City has the following honors since he joined:
- Premier League: 2017-18, 2018-19, 2020-21
- FA Cup: 2018-19
- EFL Cup: 2017-18, 2019-20
- FA Community Shield: 2018, 2019
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