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One to Watch – John Stones

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Name: John Stones

Date of Birth: 28/5/1994

Nationality: England

Former Clubs: Barnsley

League Appearances (Goals): 59 (0)

International Appearances (Goals): 4 (0)

Stat of the Day: John Stones has won 73.8% of all the tackles he has made this season

Player Profile: The English game will grab on to anything that looks remotely half decent and whilst many national prospects have come and gone, John Stones looks like a future star in the making. His manager, Robert Martinez has already touted the young defender for club and county captaincy honours and the 20-year-old has already scaled the heights and received recognition beyond Goodison Park for his notable performances last campaign. An unfortunate ankle injury as well as some poor Everton performances this season has perhaps somewhat stalled his progress, but his composure, defensive awareness and notable potential bodes well for both Everton and England.

Whilst Martinez and Everton have come in for some criticism for performances that have fallen far short of the inspiring heights reached last season, Stones has continued to develop his talent and has been the focal point of most things good about The Toffees this season. His playing style has complimented Martinez`s recognized, yet recently much maligned, football philosophy and whilst Stones` cultured approach invariably draws the focus, the desired ‘English ruggedness and tenacity` still runs strong throughout the defender.

Player History:

John Stones was born in South Yorkshire and came through the Barnsley youth ranks to sign his first professional contract in 2011. He made his Championship debut in March 2012 in a 4-0 defeat to Reading. His first goal for the club came the following season and following a string of impressive performances secured a five-and-a-half-year deal with Everton in January 2013 for a reported fee of £3 million.

Stones made his league debut as a substitute in a 1-0 victory over Chelsea in September 2013 and has since gone on to make 35 league appearances for The Toffees. He has earned four international caps along the way and in 2014 was nominated for the Golden Boy Award.

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