#4 John Stones, Manchester City
John Stones burst onto the scene at Everton during his time at Merseyside as a technically sound defender, which is a rare breed in England. His composure on the ball and willingness to keep possession were a welcome delight. His passing range was as good as any in Europe for a defender and he excelled initially.
However, mistakes started to creep in either due to lack of concentration or for spending too much time on the ball and conceding possession in dangerous positions. The intense media scrutiny did not help either.
When Pep Guardiola took over the Manchester City hot-seat in the summer, Stones was the obvious choice because Pep’s system needs the team to play from the back. Stones became the second-most expensive defender ever behind David Luiz and his season so far has been a case of ‘ Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’. While the technically astute, his errors leading to goals have been a cause for concern.
However, at 22 years of age and with the availability of Guardiola’s guidance, Stones has both time and support to fulfil his immense potential. It is well-known that experience is extremely important for defenders and Stones will only get better.
