The
Manchester City defender has been outstanding during his club’s strong run and will be hoping to repeat his 2018
World Cup performances as he resumes on the international stage
It was a nervous time for John Stones, the hours of last Wednesday stretching longer and longer and things becoming even more fraught on Thursday morning. Everybody knew that Gareth Southgate would recall him for the start of England’s World Cup qualifying campaign because, after Stones’s form for Manchester City since the end of November, how could he not? But until the centre-back had received the confirmation, he could not relax.
When the text message finally pinged and Stones was in for the ties against San Marino, Albania and Poland, the overriding emotion was relief. There is a certain symmetry about the comeback of a player who was one of the stars of England’s run to the semi-finals of the last World Cup in
Russia. Yet Stones could also feel vindication, mainly in terms of the strength of his character; how he has refused to let the setbacks he has experienced over the past two years or so break him.