Manchester City star John Stones has been there and done it at the highest level – and England won’t be able to win a World Cup without him next summer
Jeremy joined the Daily Star in 2010 as Manchester football correspondent and for more than a decade has served as our Chief Sports Writer. He provides expert coverage on Manchester United and Manchester City, the Premier League as a whole, and the England football team. Jeremy has covered football, rugby and cricket World Cups, as well as Wimbledon, the golf majors and the Olympics.
It wasn’t the most difficult night John Stones has ever had. England were very comfortable in their victory over Wales.
But it’s the fact that Stones has had much more difficult nights down his decade-long England and Manchester City careers which is why Thomas Tuchel has to make sure he is leading the Three Lions defence next summer. When England head to the finals – as they will – next summer, they are expected to reach the latter stages. They are expected to challenge for the big prize.
And that is place where Stones – for club and country – has found himself so often before. We all know how much he’s won as a trusted mainstay under Pep Guardiola at the Etihad. But his England record at a major finals isn’t bad either.
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Stones was part of the England side which reached the World Cup semi finals in Russia in 2018, an ever present from start to finish. At the following European Championships, he started all seven games, with England conceding just two goals before losing on penalties in the final to Italy.
And as England reached the final of Euro 2024, Stones was once more an ever present.
Stones was invaluable to Gareth Southgate throughout his time as England manager. And when he’s been asked to step up, against the best, he’s done just that.
For much of his career, Stones, like Rio Ferdinand before him, has been labelled a ‘Rolls Royce’ defender. Sadly, cruel injuries have meant that there have been down periods in his career too.
Yet Stones has always returned to the highest level. And when he’s not been around, both for City and England, he’s been missed, his class on the ball, ability to anticipate things, to read what’s going to happen. As Tuchel has found at St George’s Park, he’s a leader.
Of course, more injuries have disrupted his start to the new season. He’s started just five times so far for City. But even then, Tuchel picked him. He knows that, as good as the other members of Thursday night’s back four – Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi and Djed Spence – are, they don’t have Stones’ big match experience.
That trio, the likes of Myles Lewis-Skelly, even Newcastle’s veteran defender Dan Burn, an unused sub on Thursday night, will all benefit from having Stones amongst them. Not so much now, during the phoney war. But in the heat of battle next summer, he’ll be integral.
It’s not been an easy 12 months for Stones, who revealed last week that he almost quit football last season, having missed 30 games during the campaign. Thankfully, he chose not to.
Because England’s best chance of World Cup glory in 2026, is with John Stones fit, healthy and leading from the back.
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