‘How incredible’… Pep Guardiola says £47m player has become the model professional after joining Man City

Redaction Simon Brett with Srinivas Sadhanand
Published on 2024-02-05 14:30:00

Ever since John Stones joined Manchester City in 2016, Pep Guardiola has praised him for becoming an “incredible” professional. During Stones’ initial spell with the club, he faced setbacks due to injuries.

However, in the 2017/2018 season, he played a crucial role in Manchester City’s first Premier League title win under Guardiola. With tremendous potential, Stones has fulfilled expectations and established himself as one of the Sky Blues’ most pivotal players in the 2020/2021 campaign.

Guardiola spoke highly of Stones, commending him for his dedication to maintaining a professional lifestyle. The Manchester City boss believes that despite Stones’ previous setbacks and injuries, his lifestyle, food, rest, and preparation are impressive. He emphasized Stones’ role as an important player for the team, especially with many upcoming games.

“He had in the previous seasons, previous seasons, [he] had a lot of setbacks like today, like this year. Last season was amazing, so the most important thing is I’m not concerned, how incredible [a] professional he is. How beloved his lifestyle in terms of food and rest and preparation and taking care”, he said (via HaytersTV).

“Before the game and recovery games so it’s incredible professional. Sometimes, why when a player does this, I’m not concerned at all. Football, [it] sometimes happens, you know. Sometimes, you do these kinds of things and you get injured.”

“Hopefully, it’s the last one, he can finish helping us because now like we said before, there are a lot of games coming and everyone is important and the guys who are coming from the bench will be important and that’s why we are really pleased that everybody is back.”

Pep Guardiola also revealed that it took John Stones time to become the professional he is today after signing for Manchester City.

“Yeah, of course. He arrived here from Everton, played one game a week, he was so young and the process to realise, oh, [there is a game at Manchester City] every three days and the demand to win, win, win every single day, you need a process to adapt [to] that”, he said.

Pep Guardiola also noted that John Stones perhaps developed a winning mentality that comes from playing for an elite club like Manchester City.

“When you come from the academy from maybe City or maybe my experience in Barcelona, I was there. When you are there, you have to win. 12, 13, 14, five years old, you have to win every single game. Collate this mentality from early ages, maybe John [Stones] didn’t have that and now being in a top club, maybe [he] needed a little bit [of] time. But he got, he got it”, he added.

“Otherwise, he cannot stay long-term at a club like that. Club extended the contract once or twice, I don’t remember clearly and he’s a national team player. So, what happened is he handled playing every three days and every three days, you be ready. You cannot lose. It’s allowed. It’s allowed, understand me.”

“It’s allowed to lose because of course, you can lose but the mentality [is] that we have to win and he won it. Now, he knows exactly. Most of the players know it.”

Praising Stones’ professionalism, Guardiola highlighted how he constantly makes a comeback from injuries and consistently performs for the team. Despite encountering recurring injury issues, Stones has continued to bounce back and exhibits a desire to help City win silverware. This shows his strong determination and commitment to the team’s success.

In conclusion, John Stones’ journey at Manchester City has seen him evolve into a top professional with the qualities needed to thrive at an elite club. Guardiola’s faith in Stones and his development into a key player for the team highlight the Englishman’s impressive growth since joining the club. Stones’ resilience and professionalism in overcoming injuries are evident, reflecting his dedication to contributing to Manchester City’s success.

Read Original article on Manchester City News