John Stones was lost for words when he was told he had broken an England record held by World Cup-winning centre back Bobby Moore during Euro 2020.
John Stones said: “I was made aware of that – what a new record to set, it’s something I’m a bit speechless about. It’s something we’ve worked hard for and it’s kind of clicked this tournament, that defensive mindset I tried to bring from my season at City. We’ve gelled it together and it’s been an incredible six games so far. It’s something I’m super proud of.”
Stones has been an impressive performer for England throughout Euro 2020 and his form has come on the back of a disappointing end to his club season, with City beaten by Chelsea in the Champions League final at the end of May. But Gareth Southgate gave the players involved in European finals a week off before joining up for the European Championship and Stones benefited from the change to recharge his batteries.
John Stones said: “It was a good decision, or a wise decision. Gareth being a player previously he knows how demanding it is, especially with the number of games we play. To give us that time off to rest our mind, coming on the back of a difficult game on a personal note, to get away from everything and spend time with your family before coming back and giving everything with England, that’s another quality he has, he sees things in a different perspective to some people.”
