It should not come as news to Manchester City supporters - or any football fans for that matter - that John Stones is a very good footballer. After enduring some up-and-down years at City, the Barnsley-born centre-back enjoyed a terrific campaign last season that saw him form a solid partnership with new recruit Ruben Dias.
Stones was so good that he managed to keep Aymeric Laporte - a defender incredibly well-thought of by Pep Guardiola - out of the City team. Circumstances change quickly in football though and Stones has seen his game time decrease this term. However, now he is proving his worth in a very different way to last season.
Stones has only started nine of City's Premier League games this season, but thanks to a hamstring injury picked up by Dias during the FA Cup win at Peterborough earlier this month, he has regained his spot in the side. Playing back-up is nothing new for Stones, but this season he has handled what is probably a frustrating situation better than ever before.
