One of the Manchester City players who often goes under the radar is John Stones.
Whenever people speak about world-class players in the Manchester City squad, they mention the likes of Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, Ruben Dias, Ederson, Rodri and Erling Haaland.
Not many mention John Stones.
City manager Pep Guardiola, though, knows how important Stones is to the way his team plays their football.
The £47.5 million (Sky Sports) England international is a defender by trade, but the former Everton star is able to operate in defensive midfield as well.
We have seen the 29-year-old England international move into midfield and help City in their intricate play.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola on John Stones
Guardiola told TNT Sports about Stones: “Without John, I could not play that way.
“I feel secure when I have a lot of players in the middle, and John can do that.
“He’s so intelligent and smart, and making clever runs up front. He’s a good defender.
“So that’s why I figured out he was able to do it and he can do it.”
My View: John Stones an important figure at Manchester City
I believe that John Stones is one of the best and most important players for Manchester City.
There have been injury concerns for the 29-year-old, and there was also a period when things were not looking great for the defender.
However, Stones has proved that when fit and available, he is a very good option to have for City.
Guardiola publicly praising the former Barnsley star so highly shows how much the City boss likes him.
The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss has worked with some of the best players in the world, such as Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski.
Stones should be proud of the way Guardiola speaks about him.
The defender has made 225 appearances in the Premier League so far in his career.
Stones has scored eight goals, given two assists, and kept 71 clean sheets in those matches.
The Englishman has also won the Premier League five times and the UEFA Champions League once.
