JOHN STONES’ CITY CAREER IN NUMBERSTo celebrate years of loving John, here’s all the best John Stones’ City career in numbers you need to know!
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The ball-playing centre-back was already a gifted defender when he joined from Everton in 2016 as one of Pep Guardiola’s first signings after taking charge in the summer.
Now he is regarded as one of the best footballers in the world after playing a leading role as both a solid defender and creative force in our Treble-winning season.
Here we take a look back at his brilliant career at the Etihad Stadium so far…
2016/17
Played: 41
Starts: 36
Minutes: 3,170
Goals: 2
Assists: 0
Aged just 22, Stones made his debut four days after signing alongside Aleksandr Kolarov in the middle of defence in a 2-1 victory over Sunderland at the Etihad.
Three days later, he made his European bow in the UEFA Champions League qualifier away to Steaua Bucharest which City won 5-0.
City won every game of his first 10 appearances, although the season would end without a trophy, the only campaign when he failed to collect a medal.
His first goal for the Club came in a 5-0 win at West Ham in the third round of the FA Cup and he also scored in the 5-3 thriller against Monaco.
2017/18
Played: 29
Starts: 26
Minutes: 2,236
Goals: 3
Assists: 0
Stones won the title for the first time as City became the first team to win collect 100 points in the season.
Injuries impacted his season but he still made a significant contribution, including three goals in Champions League games at Feyenoord and Napoli.
Guardiola famously praised the defender, saying he had more ‘personality’ than anyone present at a postmatch press conference.
In the summer, Stones would play a leading contribution in England’s run to the World Cup semi-finals.
2018/19
Played: 39
Starts: 32
Minutes: 2,820
Goals: 0
Assists: 1
Another landmark season as City completed the domestic Treble with Stones once again at the heart of our success.
A tense title race with Liverpool went to the final game of the season and our victory over Jurgen Klopp’s side in January proved crucial.
Stones made a vital contribution in that game with a goalline clearance with technology showing it was millimetres from being over the line.
2019/20
Played: 24
Starts: 16
Minutes: 1,556
Goals: 0
Assists: 1
Injuries and the Covid pandemic contributed to what was perhaps the toughest campaign during his seven years at the Club.
The high point was a start in the Carabao Cup final victory over Aston Villa at Wembley shortly before the season shut down.
2020/21
Played: 35
Starts: 31
Minutes: 2,865
Goals: 5
Assists: 0
Stones was named in the PFA Team of the Year after helping City to a Premier League and Carabao Cup double.
On the way to Wembley, he scored at Old Trafford in a semi-final first leg victory over Manchester United.
He also played in our last six Champions League games although the final ended in disappointment with a 1-0 defeat to Chelsea.
In the summer, he helped England to the final of European Championships breaking Bobby Moore’s 55-year record for the number of consecutive clean sheets (five) kept by a defender during a tournament.
2021/22
Played: 27
Starts: 24
Minutes: 2,160
Goals: 2
Assists: 0
The season kicked off with a new contract for the defender keeping him at the Club until the summer of 2026.
“This is the best place for me to play my football and fulfil my ambitions,” he said.
The campaign would finish with yet another Premier League winners’ medal, pipping Liverpool on the final day of the season again.
2022/23
Played: 34
Starts: 31
Minutes: 2,698
Goals: 3
Assists: 3
Stones made a remarkable contribution as we completed the Treble, moving between centre-back, full-back and midfield.
Key goals came in the Champions League victory over Borussia Dortmund and against Leicester and Arsenal in the Premier League as we chased down the Gunners.
He was named in the UEFA Champions League Team of the Season as we won the trophy in a memorable campaign.
And in his new attacking role, Stones completed all seven of his dribble attempts in that 1-0 triumph over Inter, with only Lionel Messi (x2), Cristiano Ronaldo and Ronaldinho able to match that success rate in a final.