Danny Murphy believes John Stones is on course to become a true Manchester City great and is ‘cementing his place in history’ at the club.
The 29-year-old has just finished a truly brilliant campaign in which he was a key player for Pep Guardiola on the way to an historic Treble.
Guardiola changed the star’s position midway through the campaign so that he would become a midfielder when City have the ball.
And it is a role that has allowed Stones to go to a whole other level.
The star has been sensational, and his performances in both the FA Cup and Champions League finals were absolutely amazing.
Stones is perhaps the very best example of Guardiola’s ability to turn players into world-class performers.
And Murphy now believes he is well on his way to becoming a club great for City.
Danny Murphy hails John Stones turnaround after star was ‘done’ at the Etihad
Yesterday evening, Stones was the topic of conversation on talkSPORT.
Andy Goldstein brought him up for the amazing 2023 he has had, and Murphy then waxed lyrical about him.
In the former Liverpool midfielder’s eyes, Stones now stands to become a club great.
He said: “He is playing with a confidence and a belief in himself that I’ve never seen him play with before. I thought his performance in the cup final against United was the best I’ve ever seen him play. In both aspects of play. With the ball he’s just so comfortable.
“The amazing thing with John Stones is that he was done. It was a case of ‘where’s he going?’ He was bombed. And (then) he got his head down.
“He’s cementing his place in history isn’t he, for what he’s doing at the club. If he stays there he’s likely to stay there for another few years.”
It is not the first time Murphy has hailed £50 million star Stones. He also branded him ‘magnificent’ last month.
John Stones will be a Man City great and very possibly another club legend
There is no doubt that Stones is on the right path to becoming a Man City ‘great’.
But then there is ‘club legend’ status – and that is a genuine possibility for Stones too.
He will surely be staying at the club for at least another few years. He certainly won’t leave on Guardiola’s watch. He is absolutely adored by supporters so it’s difficult to see him wanting to leave any time soon.
And if Stones keeps up this kind of level then he will leave the Etihad as a legend.
To become a legend at a club, a player needs to have played a significant part in the team’s success and shown a world-class level over a long period of time.
Stones is currently doing that, and fans have absolutely loved his transformation. People love a journey to stardom and success, and Stones’ has been amazing to watch unfold.
