Manchester City players will be better for having extended holidays after their summer exploits, John Stones has insisted.
City’s pre-season has been severely hampered by most of their senior players returning at different points in the summer, depending on their involvement in Euro 2020 and the Copa America.
Five City players — including new signing Jack Grealish — were part of the England squad that reached the Euro 2020 final, while Ederson and Gabriel Jesus got to the Copa America final with Brazil.
Spain’s Aymeric Laporte, Rodri and Ferran Torres all got to the Euros semi-finals, while the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Ruben Dias, Bernardo Silva, Aleks Zinchenko and Ilkay Gundogan also reached the knockout stages.
That meant only three senior players have had a full pre-season, with the England and Brazil stars only returning this week.
However, Stones believes the extra holidays were needed for the internationals, and the decision from Pep Guardiola to sanction those rest periods will benefit City in the new campaign.
Read More
Related Articles
Read More
Related Articles
Speaking about his own condition after signing a new contract, Stones said: “I am feeling really good.
“I had a great summer in football and the rest after was vital for us all as players. I know we have been coming back in at different times, but it is down to everyone’s schedules of the Euros or whatever. The manager has been really fair to us all and I think it was much needed after last season and the demands of every competition we were in, especially in covid times which messed things up a bit.
“I am ready to go again and I think maybe this season will be structured a bit easier and more time for us between games. As players, it is so difficult and demanding on the body.
Read More
Related Articles
Read More
Related Articles
“We were able to come through it again last season, so I think anything that is put in front of us this season is more than achievable. I feel a sense around the club that we want to go that step further in everything we achieved last year and make some more history.”
Reflecting on his experience at Euro 2020, when he became the first England player to keep five clean sheets in a tournament but couldn’t prevent a defeat in the final to Italy on penalties, Stones said: “It was incredible. I think having fans there was a massive factor of the whole experience.
“Us being in England at Wembley was a massive boost for us. I wouldn’t say it was any way in our favour, as you have still got to go out there and do the business. But being at home and in that environment that we all knew, overcoming some big hurdles against Germany, getting out the group and things like that which we haven’t done so easily in previous years.
“To make it to a final was incredible. We fell at the last hurdle, but it is something I am extremely proud of and I am sure everyone else in the nation is as well. It is a long time since we have been in a final with England, we have set the bar now and hopefully we can go again.
“I really enjoyed it, the whole tournament, and got some incredible memories for me and my family. It was just amazing to have a full packed Wembley Stadium again and hopefully we can have that here at the Etihad and get people back and watching us to have that feel of football again.
“There is a lot of incredible memories for me to look back on.”
Sign up to our City newsletter so you never miss an update from the Etihad Stadium this season.
Read More
Related Articles
Read More
Related Articles
If you have questions,