Manchester City boast one of the greatest defenders in English football in John Stones.
Since moving to the Etihad Stadium from Everton for £47.5million in 2016, Stones has made 277 outings for the club and has won a multitude of trophies.
Stones has won six Premier League titles, one Champions League, two FA Cups, two League Cups, a FIFA Club World Cup, two Community Shields and a UEFA Super Cup at Manchester City.
The Manchester City titan has also starred for England, helping them reach a World Cup semi-final and two Euro finals.
Now, England teammate Jordan Pickford has shared who he prefers playing alongside out of Stones and Manchester United’s Harry Maguire.
Photo by Michael Regan - The FA/The FA via Getty Images
Photo by Michael Regan – The FA/The FA via Getty Images
READ MORE: Defender John Stones loves says he could have signed for Man City after having a trial
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Jordan Pickford opts for John Stones over Harry Maguire
Pickford, who also used to be Stones’ teammate at Everton, was asked by Sky Sports who he preferred out of the City star and his Man United counterpart.
The Everton keeper acknowledged that Stones “won everything with City, won the Treble, close to 100 caps for England”.
After speaking about “Stonesy”, he commented on Maguire, who he referred to as Big Slabhead, and how they debuted for England at around the same time.
Pickford ultimately opted for Stones, saying: “For me, I would say Stonesy.
“You know how good he is with his feet, but the amount of blocks [he makes], and the way he stops the shots coming towards me because he’s got that technique. He’s quality.”
What Pep Guardiola and Kyle Walker have said about John Stones
Stones is a defender of the highest calibre and has received praise from many peers, including Pep Guardiola and Kyle Walker.
“John is an unbelievable player,” Walker told Sky Sports about Stones back in 2017.
“You don’t quite appreciate him until you are playing alongside him. He rarely gets beat, he is great on the ball and he is very calm and level-headed.”
Meanwhile, Guardiola praised the defender’s “incredible” mentality for fighting his way back into the team when his future at the club looked uncertain in 2020.
“I’m incredibly happy for John Stones,” Guardiola told Sky Sports. “In the end, the players have to show for themselves, we can’t help them for certain points.
“I never changed my mind. When we bought him from Everton we thought he had the quality to do it.
“But footballers are not just footballers they are human beings, human beings have problems and personal lives.
“We know the quality he has and I am especially happy because he is an incredible person.
“In the good moments, he is always there and in the bad moments, he fights and always was with the team.
“This behaviour will help him to have a long, long career and live for this amazing job for a long time. Just the mentality and the positivity.
“He turned it around and hopefully he can continue not just for coming seasons as well.”