The ball-playing centre-back who grew into a Champions League winner under Pep Guardiola.
John Stones was born in Barnsley, Yorkshire in 1994. Barnsley developed him before Everton signed him and Manchester City paid £47.5 million for him in 2016 — then a record for an English defender. His City career took time to establish — early years were marked by positional errors and questions about his defensive reliability. Under Pep Guardiola's patient development he became the finest ball-playing centre-back in the Premier League — his ability to advance with the ball, his passing range and his composure under pressure evolved into elite-level tools. He won five Premier League titles and the 2023 Champions League Treble. His role in City's system — functioning as a hybrid centre-back and midfielder — was innovative and unique. He represented England in multiple European Championships and World Cups. He scored an important goal in the Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid in 2023. His development from error-prone early career to Champions League winner reflects one of the Premier League's finest individual growth stories.
Champions League (2023)
Career Honours
- Champions League (2023)
- Premier League 5x
- FA Cup 2x