John Stones has thanked new England manager Thomas Tuchel and opened up about his future on the international stage ahead of the 2026 World Cup in North America
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John Stones
John Stones has expressed his gratitude to new England boss Thomas Tuchel
(Image: 2024 Getty Images)
England defender John Stones has spoken about his huge debt of gratitude to Thomas Tuchel. Three Lions boss Tuchel invited Stones to join the England training camp in Girona and also for a trip to the Barcelona Grand Prix earlier this month.
It was a small gesture but one which Stones - who has won 83 caps - was hugely grateful for and it gave him a timely boost in his recovery as well as feeling like he was an older head for some of the younger players.
Stones said: "It was really nice. Change of scenery for me and to be welcomed and asked to go with the team was really nice to be with the guys and be around the players after the season. I love being around the players after the season. I felt very welcomed and wanted. Hopefully I can bring something else.
"I wasn’t able to be in that squad but to maybe see it from a different angle, my leadership skills towards the players joining for the first time or the players who haven’t been there very long. To spend a few days with them was really nice and I was really grateful."
Stones also said that he is also relishing the new challenge and competition this coming season as City have signed eight players this year and spent nearly £300m. But Stones says that will spur him on for the new campaign as he will be one of the older heads.
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He added: "I’m one of the older ones! It’s exciting. Everything is a challenge. I think that’s why we thrive off it. We want to win. The guys who are coming to us are coming for a reason. They’re quality and they deserve to be here.
"It’s a great challenge for us all. Fighting for a starting place. Fighting for titles again. Everything moves on life and in football. The club has had to make those decisions and bring new people in. They’ve been great so far. I can’t speak highly enough of them."
Stones missed the last three months of the season through injury and is hoping to be fully fit when the Premier League returns in August. Reflecting on his injury problems, Stones added: "I find it very challenging mentally, I have had some very low points in the past season and I just have to come back and once you come over those things, you can’t really see the end of the tunnel when they keep happening.
"And it's frustrating on the team, on myself, on the manager, that you're not available to help them, and you've got to find another way to be around the team. I don't know what the reason is, and we've sat with the medical staff, sports science, to try and figure out why.
John Stones and the England squad pose for a photo at the Spanish Grand Prix
Stones joined the England training camp earlier this month after an invite from Tuchel
"Some things can't be explained. Which is even more testing mentally when there’s not really an answer. I've been unlucky with some of the injuries that I've had, they were very rare last season, after speaking to specialists.
"Sometimes I think, why has it happened to me? But I've got to deal with that and move forward and try to adapt with how my body's adapting. As I said, I feel great, I'm back fit, ready to help the team when called upon.
"I think this season I've got to look more detailed into training, things that I can do off the pitch that I can sustain playing a lot more games."
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