John Stones reveals how he ‘changed everything’ to rescue his Manchester City career

The renaissance of John Stones is a tale of dogged persistence in the face of some pretty miserable times.

At one point in the summer of 2020, he looked finished at Manchester City having been made a virtual outcast by Pep Guardiola. The following year, he had to deal with the double heartbreak of defeats in major finals for both club and country.

Yet somehow the England defender has found the fortitude to reinvent himself and nobody would argue that at 29 he is now one of Guardiola’s most important figures heading into Saturday’s Champions League final against Inter Milan which could land City the Treble.

Stones has excelled this season at centre-back, right-back and midfield, sometimes within the same 90 minutes. The bigger the occasion, the better he’s played whether a 4-0 win against Real Madrid or last Saturday’s FA Cup final triumph over Manchester United.

Even he seems to find it hard to believe only three years ago that Guardiola preferred to play an out-of-position Fernandinho alongside Eric Garcia for a Champions League quarter-final defeat against Lyon, viewed as a sign that his time at City was up.

John Stones has enjoyed a remarkable renaissance at Manchester City this season

Stones has starred alongside Ruben Dias in defence, and pushed into midfield at times

‘It was probably one of the hardest times in my career,’ accepts Stones. I went back to looking at myself, being super-critical and what I could do better.

‘I went into every fine detail, what food to eat, when to eat, how to train, what else I could do, everything.

‘I’d put in extra work straight after training or even late at night. I’d look into small margins, break things down to see how I could get back into the team. It was a big learning curve and made me who I am today.

‘But I still never thought about leaving City. As soon as you have that mindset, you’ve killed yourself and I always wanted to stay.

‘It wasn’t a case of telling anyone else “I want to prove it to you” – I wanted to prove to myself that I was good enough to be at City, deserve to be here and could bring things to the team.’

Stones made some progress in 2020/21 before being hit by another cruel double-whammy at the end of the season. He was part of the City side beaten 1-0 by Chelsea in the Champions League final and then suffered heartbreak with England in the final of the European Championship against Italy.

‘That summer was one of the most difficult moments to cope with,’ he acknowledges. But he fought back again to find the best form of his career.

‘All of that will make it super-sweet I suppose if I have a winner’s medal on Saturday night but I can’t really think like that right now. Ask me again after the final!’ her remarks with a grin.

The defender has become one of Pep Guardiola’s most important players in their Treble bid

‘It wasn’t just the Lyon match but any game where you’re left out, you maybe feel you should be playing. Having said that, it’s always difficult at a club like this because we’ve got incredible players.

‘I genuinely tried to put a positive spin on it if I wasn’t in the team and used it to motivate me. I wanted to make sure I gave the manager a headache with his team selection.’

Stones will definitely be on the team sheet for Istanbul. His versatility has defined this latest Pep incarnation of Manchester City and wherever he pops up on the field, he looks comfortable.

His license to build play in midfield hasn’t impacted on the defensive side to his game either. His reading of the game to make vital blocks and interceptions has never been better.

‘I wouldn’t say I was surprised,’ he says about Guardiola’s request to step up the pitch.

‘People said from a young age that they could see me playing in midfield. I still love playing as a centre-half and I’ve absolutely loved this role as well.

‘I think I have proved to myself I’m able to do it, maybe showing some attributes I didn’t know I had but that the manager saw in me.

‘Ultimately, it’s about showing what I can do to help the team win and it’s also made me appreciate what the other players in the team want. I know what kind of passes the midfielders would want from me because I’ve been in that position myself now.’

City are hot favourites to add their first Champions League to the Premier League and FA Cup crowns already won.

The 29-year-old has excelled this season at centre-back, right-back and midfield

Even so, their recent history in Europe with shock defeats to Monaco, Tottenham and Lyon suggests there should be no complacency from Stones or his team-mates.

‘Inter are in a Champions League final for a reason,’ assesses Stones, who spent two years playing with their renowned striker Romelu Lukaku at Everton.

‘Whoever we play against, we give the other team respect. They have incredible players and we all saw how they played in the semi-final in a derby against AC Milan which is never easy.

‘We know what we’re up against but we have to be ourselves and focus on us as well.’