Fernandinho has said that John Stones has been a big help for Manchester City this season.
The Brazilian left City at the end of the 2021/22 season after lifting the Premier League title as the club’s captain.
Now though, after seeing his former side regain their league title, the 38-year-old has shared some big praise for the efforts of one current City player, in particular.
Fernandinho praises Stone’s versatility
Speaking in a recent interview with Alan Shearer for The Athletic, Fernandinho said this after saying the best things you need to play under Pep Guardiola is the ability to speak multiple languages and be able to play in numerous positions across the pitch.
He said: “But those things are important because sometimes Pep needs to change formation during games without changing players.
“Sometimes he used to attack in one shape and then defend in another. So if you have a player like John (Stones), who can play as a midfielder, or a full-back or centre-back, it really helps. And it helps the manager to trust those players. John has been amazing.”
Having appeared in 23 of City’s 38 league games this season, the Englishman ended up playing in his usual centre-back role as well as featuring in the right-back and defensive-midfield positions.
This backs up the versatility that Fernandinho highlighted when discussing Stones and his effectiveness in the team.
In addition to that, the 29-year-old also showed how comfortable he is on the ball as he ended the season with the joint-second highest passing accuracy percentage in the division (93%).
Stones’ overall performances earned the England international a season rating of 6.8/10 from WhoScored, making him the highest-rated defender currently at the club.
Taking all of that into account, it’s easy to see why Fernandinho has been so impressed with the Englishman this season and why he thinks he is an important figure for the manager.
