Danny Mills has expressed how gobsmacked he is at how Manchester City defender John Stones has adapted to his hybrid role this season.
The pundit went on talkSPORT, as he reacted to the £47.5 million (Sky Sports) man’s outstanding performance against Manchester United in his side’s 2-1 win in the FA Cup final.
Danny Mills lauded John Stones for his sparkling display for Manchester City as they won the double on Saturday as well as how he has reinvented himself.
Danny Mills raves about Manchester City centre-back John Stones
Even Fernandinho recently pinpointed how the England international has been ‘amazing’, while emphasising that his former teammate’s tactical versatility has really helped Pep Guardiola in implementing his new system.
While Jamie Carragher went as far as to compare the 29-year-old to legends such as Lothar Matthaus and Matthias Sammer.
Now, Danny Mills has lavished praise on to Manchester City centre-half John Stones for his sublime showing in the Manchester Derby, as well as how he has performed in his complex hybrid role.
“He was fantastic. It’s incredible. Playing as a defender when everything’s in front of you is one of the easier positions on the pitch because you can see absolutely everything. Suddenly having to play with your back to goal is completely different.”
Danny Mills also gave an insight into what he took from John Stones’ performance for Manchester City in their FA Cup triumph, saying, “There were at times when he was in the No.10 position. At times, he was just behind Erling Haaland within that. We’ve always known he’s a fantastic footballer. He had that little spell where he seemed to go off it and struggled a little bit for form.”
“But he’s come through that and I don’t even know what his position is anymore! It’s almost like he’s been given a free role. He can go everywhere you think the ball is going to be.”
“The way he’s adapted into that role is just superb.”
John Stones is the best centre-back in the world
Going by how impressed Danny Mills was with John Stones’ performance, he would likely agree as well.
However, it is hard to find a hole in the argument, as the Englishman has been both immaculate defensively whilst played in midfield like a seasoned No.8.
John Stones has not let the fact that has had to adapt to such a challenging role mid-season affect his defensive displays even slightly, with there being an argument that he is in the form of his life, as Danny Mills claimed.
Not a single other central defender is operating at Stones’ level and neither are they playing a role that is as taxing as his.
