‘I haven’t’… Jamie Carragher says £47m Man City player is doing things he has genuinely never seen before

Redaction Simon Brett with Srinivas Sadhanand
Published on 2024-02-29 11:00:00

Jamie Carragher has confessed that in his lifetime, he has never witnessed a center-back play the hybrid role quite like John Stones does.

After Manchester City’s 6-2 victory over Luton Town, Jamie O’Hara also acknowledged that the things that the 29-year-old was doing on the football pitch were “unbelievable.”

Conor Coady shared in June that he sent a message to John Stones stating, “Mate, you’re reinventing the game.” The Leicester City center-back added that the Englishman was “reinventing football.”

Even Jack Grealish admitted that Pep Guardiola’s management of his teammate and utilizing him in this specialized role has been “frightening.”

As the world remains captivated by John Stones in his signature hybrid role, Jamie Carragher admits he has never seen anything like it.

“John Stones is doing something that I think has been talked about in football for sort of like…even football before I started…Bobby Moore was that, [Frank] Rijkaard or sort of for England, it was obviously, a long time before us but Bobby Moore came out with the ball and then the next one was going to be Rio [Ferdinand] to do that”, he said on The Overlap’s Stick To Football.

“And then obviously, John Stones is doing it because he’s got a manager like Pep Guardiola. But we hear about players being good with the ball at the back and about people going into midfield like [Franz] Beckenbauer, when you’re a kid like Beckenbauer did this, like the sweeper and stuff.”

“But I’ve never seen anyone doing what John Stones is doing where he’s popping, he’s almost just going, not where he wants because obviously there’s got to be some structure to it but I haven’t seen that before.”

“We got full-backs now going into midfield. Pep’s [Guardiola] forgot that one. He’s doing the centre-back in there.”

When Roy Keane mentioned similarities between John Stones and Liverpool legend Alan Hansen, Carragher noted that while Hansen came out with the ball, Stones appears to be holding his position in midfield.

This unique playing style sets Stones apart from most legendary English center-backs, with the exception of Bobby Moore.

By redefining the traditional role of a center-back, Stones has positioned himself to be compared to revered defenders like Rio Ferdinand, John Terry, Tony Adams, and Sol Campbell.

His innovative approach to the game may ultimately lead to him being considered one of the greatest English defenders of all time, especially among younger fans and pundits.

Overall, John Stones’ pioneering style of play and his impact on the game could secure his place as a standout figure in English football history, surpassing even some of the most iconic defenders of previous eras.

Read Original article on Manchester City News