FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Euro 2024 - England Press Conference - Blankenhain, Germany - July 4, 2024 England's John Stones during the press conference REUTERS/John Sibley/File Photo
BERLIN (Reuters) - When John Stones sat through Euro 2016 as an unused squad member he could little have imagined that eight years later he would be lining up for a second successive final having, astonishingly, played in every game of the last four major tournaments.
Everything changed for Stones in 2016 as he left Everton for Manchester City and Gareth Southgate, who knew him well from his time with the under-21s, replaced Roy Hodgson as England manager.
From the start Southgate wanted to build an England team who could play out from the back, with defenders who were calm in possession, and in Stones, alongside Harry Maguire, he had exactly what he wanted.
With Pep Guardiola guiding him for his club and Southgate showing total faith in him for his country whether he played four or three at the back, Stones, already supremely self-confident and assured in possession, blossomed into a world-class defender of the "modern style".
At the 2018 World Cup his partnership with Maguire was the bedrock of England's run to the semi-finals and he even chipped in with two goals, while he played all seven games at Euro 2020 as England lost to Italy on penalties in the final.
He started all five games in the 2022 World Cup, culminating in a quarter-final defeat by France and in Sunday's final he will walk out for his 79th cap and seventh game at Euro 2024 having played every minute so far.
It was not all plain sailing in Germany as Stones arrived on the back of an illness that threatened his early participation and, perhaps as a result, he was below his best in the group stage.
Stones bore some of the assault as England were criticised for their negativity, his sidewards and backwards passing eventually becoming an internet meme that was far from complimentary, even though his 95.5% passing accuracy from 521 attempts ahead of the final is the best of the tournament.
He was back to his assured best in the semi-final, repeatedly snuffing out Dutch attacks on the back of his anticipation and athleticism, and refusing to be flustered himself when in possession.
At club level Stones has won 16 trophies with Manchester City, saying he realised he "knew nothing about football" until he started playing under Guardiola, who he described as the best manager of all time.
His relationship with Southgate, something of a footballing centre back himself in the days when such things were quite a radical concept, is also one of mutual respect.
Asked last week about what he had learned from him, Stones said: "A lot. He’s changed our culture within the team which is something that’s extremely difficult.
"The humility that I think we have as a team as well and the winning mentality. He’s very clear in what he wants us to achieve.
"We know him as a person and how hard he and his backroom staff have worked. We want to win for them, ourselves, our families and everyone in the nation."
(Reporting by Mitch Phillips, editing by Christian Radnedge)
