Manchester City have signed many players during Pep Guardiola’s reign at the club.
Out of the 90 players Guardiola has used during his time in charge of City, many of them were signed from various clubs across the globe.
With the 53-year-old overlooking 483 matches in total at the Manchester club, eight players from the current first-team squad have racked up over 250 appearances under Guardiola.
On the subject of the City boss, with his current contract at the Etihad Stadium set to expire in June, Gabby Agbonlahor claimed Guardiola would only stay at City if they won the Premier League title this season.
Now though, a pundit and former Premier League star has shared his verdict on how one of the most experienced players in City’s ranks has transformed under the guidance of Guardiola.
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Darren Bent says Pep Guardiola has made John Stones a better overall player at Man City
After seeing John Stones get given the captain’s armband for England’s recent match against Greece, Darren Bent gave this assessment on talkSPORT (10/10 16:55) of how he’s evolved as a player at City.
He said: “When I was at Fulham and he was at Everton, I played against John Stones.
“On the ball – lovely, so good, comfortable in possession. But you just thought if you backed into him and you could get down the sides of him.
“Back then he was being linked with the top clubs but under Pep’s guidance, he has been incredible. Like really incredible stepping into midfield.
“But I think a lot has been made of that because I think he could play before he got to City. So a lot of people were saying look what Pep’s turned him into. But he was doing that at Everton alongside [Phil] Jagielka, stepping in, playing with the ball.
“Everton fans will tell you he was good on the ball. But to be fair, Pep has turned him, as a defender, into an all-round package. Top, top player.”
What has Stones said about working with Guardiola?
Signed from Everton back in the 2016 summer transfer window, Stones has gone on to make 263 appearances for the Manchester club across all competitions.
Not long after winning his sixth Premier League trophy with the Blues, John Stones opened up about what Guardiola made him realise about football.
He said: “I think one of the biggest things for me was, I’m sure you’ve heard me say it before about me knowing football before I played under Pep, quickly realising I knew nothing about just how he sees the game, how he wants us to play football and how simply he gets that across to players.
“Definitely it’s had a big effect on not only me but the lads that have played under him here in the England team.
“We bring ideas and solutions to certain things sometimes and try our best to better the team because we’ve been so successful and I believe he’s the greatest manager of all time, for me.”
Having been one of Guardiola’s first signings at City and going on to spend so much time at the club, it’s clear that Stones has been an important and successful transfer for the club.
Now that Bent has highlighted how much the defender’s overall game has improved since making the move to Manchester, this showcases how much of a top coach Guardiola is.
