Manchester City have a significant number of experienced international players at the club.
For Pep Guardiola’s side, a lot of those players in their first-team squad have helped guide the Manchester club to multiple domestic and European trophies in recent years.
On the international stage, looking back over the 2024 European Championship, four City players made it to the final.
One of those players is John Stones, who played every minute of action for the Three Lions in the Euros.
In fact, during the tournament, Jordan Pickford called Stones a “quality” player and one of the best centre-backs in the world.
Now though, the defender is set to make his 82nd senior appearance for England in their Nations League match against Greece.
Ahead of this match, the defender has shared some behind-the-scenes details on what the man currently in charge of the Three Lions said to him in the build-up to this game.
John Stones shares ‘incredible’ thing Lee Carsley told him
Speaking in a press conference the day before England’s match with Greece, Stones said this when asked about Lee Carsley’s decision to give him the captain’s armband in the absence of Harry Kane.
He said: “Definitely everything that I could have dreamed of as a kid.
“More for my family, I think, to be able to see me walk out as England captain is a special moment and one that I can’t thank Lee enough for.
“A great conversation that we had last night and one that I was a bit speechless but an incredible moment for me and it’s a bit more normal actually today everything resumes as normal, the preparation, the training that we’ve done and our focus is the same.
“So yeah, to be walking out with the armband on is an absolute honour and one that I’ll cherish forever.”
Harry Kane loves ‘clever’ Stones
Even though he’s set to see the defender temporarily take his captain’s armband for this game, Kane praised Stones during the Euros back in June, saying this about the City star.
He said: “I think Stones is really clever.
“Of course, everyone knows how good he is on the ball under pressure and playing but maybe some people underestimate how good he is in reading the game, blocking shots, getting his body on the line, when to be aggressive, when to keep space.
“I think Stones is [his toughest England opponent] and I think he’s growing in that as he’s got more experience as well, he’s got better and better.”
With Stones now clearly having the backing of Carsley as well as the respect of Kane, it may come as no surprise to City supporters that he has been picked to captain England on this occasion.
