RULING STONES

Loss of form and domestic issues threatened to end his City career but Stones declared: The change is down to me.. I took a hard look at myself and dedicated everything to fighting my way back into team

WHEN Manchester City signed Ruben Dias for a club-record £65million, John Stones looked to be on his way out of the Etihad Stadium.

Aymeric Laporte – himself a £57m signing – was expected to form City’s first-choice central defensive partnership alongside Dias, with Stones continuing in exile.

Yet in the space of two months, Stones has turned his City career around to become Dias’ preferred defensive partner, the pair conceding a solitary goal in five Premier League games.

Stones has gone from outcast to outstanding, and his remarkable revival looks set to be capped with an England recall for March’s World Cup qualifiers, 16 months after earning his last cap.

Sunday typified the 26-year-old’s renaissance, two goals – his first in the Premier League for City – and another diligent defensive display pushing Pep Guardiola’s side up to second in the table.

A sixth straight win in the league at home to Aston Villa tomorrow will take City top, the resurgence of Stones central to the team’s impressive run and march towards the summit.

A messy break-up with his childhood sweetheart – the mother of his daughter – took its toll on Stones, who credited his good form to a reassessment of how he approached his profession.

“It’s been related to looking at what I can improve, personally,” said Stones. “It’s down to me and me only, to look at myself and every aspect of my life. That’s what I did.

“I worked really hard every day on the training pitch, in the gym trying to stay fit, and I tried every detail, also in the recovery aspect.

“I dedicated everything towards it, trying to get back into the team, trying to fight for my spot.

“I’m still here to fight for my shirt, fight for my team-mates, the club, everything – and show my quality when I’m on the pitch.”

On his partnership with Dias, Stones said: “It’s been great. A lot of credit to Ruben, he played a lot of games and adapted so well to the Premier League.

“It’s not easy coming to a major club like Manchester City and putting a stamp on it like he’s done, the level he’s shown in every game.

“It’s been great for me to play alongside him. He’s so easy to get on with, on and off the pitch. We’ve kept a lot of clean sheets and just clicked.

“When it happens like that, you enjoy playing football. I’m definitely enjoying playing with him and hopefully we can continue for a long time.”

Guardiola paid tribute to Stones and said: “He’s one guy who deserves the best. He struggled a lot but he’s a fantastic human being – his parents must be so proud.

“He had personal problems and injuries in the past, but at the moment he’s settled good.”