John Stones negates every cliché commonly used when attempting to describe the skill-set of an average English defender; strong, tough-tackling, and bullish. It could be seen as derogatory or complimentary depending on which side of the aisle you stand.
The overriding assumption is that finesse and elegance aren’t necessarily their forte. Manchester City’s John Stones, however, isn’t your average English center back. Elegant in possession, calm on the ball, and blessed with a passing range Franz Beckenbauer will be proud of.
Bio of John Stones
John Stones is an English center back playing for English Premier League Club Manchester City. Born on 28 May 1994 to Peter and Janet Stones, John commenced his football education at his hometown club Barnsley FC.
Prior to joining Barnsley, John attended Penistone Grammar school where he took an initial interest in Golf. Over time, however, his interest firmly shifted to football. A quiet and reserved kid, John had challenges fitting into his various age groups at the academy level because of his slight stature. At 15, he was asked to train with the age category lower so he could measure up to the physical demands of the game.
By the time he turned 18, and his body frame had developed commensurately at 6 feet 2 inches, his footballing skills were miles ahead of his youth teammates.
He signed his first professional contract with Barnsley in December 2011 and made his first-team debut on the 17th of March 2012. After a string of impressive performances and recommendations to scouts, Stones signed for Everton for around £3 million in January 2013.
Under then Everton boss Roberto Martinez, Stones blossomed, gaining nationwide plaudits for the maturity of his performances. He made his club debut against Stevenage in the League Cup on 28 August 2013.
Over four seasons, Stones made 95 appearances scoring one goal. As his stock grew, Everton was compelled to hand their young starlet an improved contract offer in a bid to tie him to the club. On 7th August 2014, Stones signed a contract extension with an improved £30,000 weekly wage.
After fending off interests from Chelsea, on the 9th of August 2016, Manchester City signed Stones for £47.5 million on a six-year deal. The figure meant Stones became the world’s second most expensive defender in history, behind Brazilian defender David Luiz.
Stones’ arrival at the Etihad Stadium coincided with the arrival of Spaniard Pep Guardiola who is renowned for his admiration for elegant, ball-playing defenders. Stones played his first City match on the 6th of January 2017, against London Club West Ham United.
After a blistering start to his Manchester City career things have slowed down somewhat for the young English man. Prone to the odd mistake and lapse in concentration, Stones has found a starting spot difficult to come by. His recent injuries and the City’s acquisition of top talent from across Europe have all played a significant part in his recent struggles at the Club level.
On the international front, Stones made his first senior appearance for England in May 2014 after he was brought on as a substitute for Leighton Baines in a 3–0 friendly win over Peru at Wembley in 2014. His first competitive start for the three lions came in the first match of UEFA Euro 2016 qualification against Switzerland.
He has since been named in squads for every major tournament ever since.
Who is His Girlfriend?
John Stones has been dating his childhood heartthrob Millie Savage since he was 12 years old. Drama ensued when news surfaced that Stones had been seeing Jessica Peaty behind Millie’s back
John met Jessica – an Events executive at a restaurant and after hanging out, the pair retired to a Manchester hotel for the night. The friendship lasted for a few weeks, the same time when Stones was settling into his new club Manchester City. Jessica initially never knew his status as a footballer, she was later surprised to see Johns’s pictures on the back pages of a tabloid after a weekend league game. After running a background check, she realized Stones had a girlfriend he had been with from childhood.
A devasted Jessica sent an Instagram message to Millie asking if John was still dating her during the period of their fling. As you would expect, a fiasco ensued and made it to the front pages of newspapers, John had the unenviable task of going back to Millie to mend the relationship and damaged trust.
Luckily, he was forgiven, but not without a cost. The millionaire footballer reportedly had to begin by appeasing her with the purchase of a £3.5m mansion. He had to go as far as getting a tattoo of her face on his arm.
Height, Weight, and Body Measurements
John Stones stands at 1.88 meters, with a weight of 70kg. This is quite an impressive height for a defender being 6 feet 2 inches tall. His 154 lbs weight equivalent adds a lot of force and resistance when he charges towards or stands guard against players from the opposing team meandering to go past him. His other body measurements such as his chest, arms/biceps and waist have not been revealed, but going by a visual assessment of the City center-back, he sure does have an athletic body build.
Other Facts About John Stones
As a child, he was a Manchester United supporter.
Stones currently earns £100,000 weekly at Manchester City.
He and Chelsea defender Gary Cahill were once involved in an Instagram account mix-up. Stones’ account posted pictures congratulating Chelsea on a league victory, this infuriated both sets of fans.
John Stones also has a tattoo of the face of Barnsley legend Norman Rimmington on his leg. Norman who died in December 2016 at the age of 90 worked with stones while he has a schoolboy at Barnsley.
