With the release of centre-backs, Antolín Alcaraz and Sylvain Distin, by Everton, it seemed 21-year-old Englishman, John Stones, would be playing a much more prominent role at the heart of Everton’s defence in the coming season. However, major interest from English Champions, Chelsea, could hinder that opportunity for Stones.
Arriving from Barnsley for £3 million, John Stones has started both Premier league games that have taken place, so far, with two confident performances. Being a centre-back that is skilled and competent with the ball at his feet, but also strong in the air, John Stones promises a lot of quality if he gets the right coaching and, most importantly, actually getting some game time. It’s an exciting thought for any England national fan if John Stones can fulfil his potential. However, after a rumoured £30 million bid for Stones was rejected by Everton from Chelsea, a move which would see Stones shift down the pecking order, Stones’ growth could be hindered massively in the long run.
With John Terry, Gary Cahill and Kurt Zouma likely to be preferred to John Stones by José Mourinho, if he was to move to Chelsea, it would be unlikely that Stones would get much action this season, considering he will be a main centre-back at Everton. How many promising careers have we seen ruined by the lack of game time at a big club, to realise that match time is what these young players need? Think Scott Sinclair and Jack Rodwell.
John Stones is a fantastic talent with a lot of promise, but one that needs careful management to keep him grounded. A big money move to a larger, richer club would change John Stones’ lifestyle in a dramatic way, which would also be very likely to alter the way he performs on the pitch. The English media would no longer look for the positives in his performances; his negatives would be highlighted and the pressure upon him to perform well and be a key player for club and country would reach an extreme level.
It is possible that Stones would be able to handle the pressure, take it in his stride and perform to an even higher level for Chelsea. However, staying at Everton and playing regularly every week isn’t going to have a negative effect on John Stones’ performance levels; under the management of Roberto Martinez, it’s likely he’d become an integral part of the Everton setup and establish himself as an England regular. Not only that, John Stones’ likely centre-back partner for the season will be fellow England international, Phil Jagielka. With Jagielka being an experienced England international that has played regular Premier league football of a high quality, Stones has the perfect mentor to keep a close eye on him through his development with the Toffees.
So, as long as John Stones doesn’t make the switch down to London, England fans can get very excited at the idea of the man fulfilling his quality potential and becoming an important part of the England defence for many years to come.
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