Chelsea defender, Gary Cahill, has backed John Stones to be a success with Manchester City saying sky is the limit for the former Everton defender. Ever since Stones has moved to the Etihad, added attention has been placed on his performances.
And Gary Cahill believes that it is only normal for the limelight to be on the defender much more than it was previously.
“It’s normal now. That’s the sort of step he’s taken to play for a massive club. I’m sure he was aware the spotlight was going to be on him for good and bad.”
The English defender has been demanded by Pep Guardiola to play the ball out of the back rather than just unloading it, something that he now does with England as well. And this risky endeavor has irked some fans, but the former Bolton defender showed his support for his England team-mate.
“Again it shows another bit of your character but I feel he’s a guy who can deal with that and who can be fine with that. He will learn quickly from his mistakes and from the things he’s doing very well, which is more than the mistakes.”
Cahill has backed Stones to be a success and believes that his compatriot must keep going in order to build confidence in him and around him.
“John’s doing a lot of good stuff playing there and he’s obviously highly regarded there. He will build his confidence and his manager has got confidence in him. And when your manager and your teammates have confidence in you, you take the criticism on the chin and keep going.
“The potential is there for him to do whatever he wants to do.”
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The Chelsea defender then went on to praise Stones for his personality and willingness to listen and implement advices that are given to him.
“He’s a great lad off the pitch and personality wise, you have to look at that as well. Is he a boy who is going to take on advice from people? Is he going to listen to everybody and soak that up? He certainly is.
“There’s no reason why he can’t go on and have the successful career he wants to have. He is a different type of player but I think everyone is aware of his ability. Along with that ability is the attitude to listen and take on board things from people who have done more than you. That’s how I progressed and I’m sure he will be the same.”
The evolution of modern football has seen defenders evolve into players who actually start attacks by passing the ball out of the back. And Gary Cahill thinks that defenders should do it rather than just blindly clearing the ball. He, however, also admitted that it depends on the manager.
Cahill added: “It depends what manager you have and depends on what club you are at.
“I certainly think since I have been at Chelsea for the last five years, it’s something we want to do and it’s something that’s expected of you.Everyone has different opinions in football and everyone has different opinions on the way they want to play.
“But when you go to the big clubs, ultimately they expect you to play out and try to keep possession of the ball. It’s especially the case when you are playing at a top level like for England. That’s exactly how you should do things.”
Also Read: John Stones has become a better player because David Moyes left Everton says Shane Duffy
England face Spain next, in what would be an encounter that would provide a stern test to the Three Lions’ defense. And Cahill is raring to go against the former world champions.
He said: “Who knows what team they are going to play? But whoever they play, it will certainly tell us a lot because whatever players they field, and whatever the system they use, you’re playing against top-quality opposition.
“Therefore it was important that we went out and got the result that we hoped for against Scotland. It meant we could go back to the hotel with a smile on our faces and be ready to take on Spain with confidence.”
