John Stones has headed to the World Cup with a point to prove – and believes he is in the best shape of his career despite a frustrating final season under Pep Guardiola.
The 32-year-old defender made only five Premier League starts as Guardiola’s 593rd and final game in charge of Manchester City ended in an emotional defeat, with Ollie Watkins scoring a double for Aston Villa. Stones, now a free agent after his contract expired, admitted his lack of minutes has given him an extra edge.
“John Stones says he's never felt better as he aims to prove Pep Guardiola wrong after a frustrating final season at Manchester City.”
“I was fit enough 100 per cent, it comes down to various things, the manager (Guardiola) and that’s something I can’t control,” Stones told ITV. “He knows how much I wanted to play, how much I wanted to be there. I think I feel as good as I’ve ever been before a tournament. Yeah, ready, ready to go, feel great, feel sharp and feel fresh and excited for it.”
Stones, who has 79 caps, is already dreaming of reaching 100 appearances for England. “I never thought I’d play for England around 39 or 41 and I was stuck. I thought that was it. I’ll stay on definitely. I feel too good and have too much to give,” he said.
Despite England’s near misses in recent tournaments, Stones insists belief, not hope, is driving the squad. “I always believed we would win and that belief has to be a belief. It can’t be a hope. We all hope for good things to happen but when you have a belief it’s different,” he added.
His selection by Thomas Tuchel has been questioned given his limited game time, but Stones is determined to prove Guardiola wrong. “I feel immense pride but something is missing,” he said, hinting at the ultimate goal: going one step further than before.