Confident Stones set to become £50m star

I CAN see John Stones playing for Real Madrid or Barcelona in future, as well as captaining England.

So many things impress me about the Everton central defender; his shape, elegance and unflappable temperament. He certainly has the quality to play at that level.

When the time comes to leave Goodison, rival suitors would need to have more than £50million ready — the price Paris Saint-Germain paid Chelsea for David Luiz. Excessive? Not when top- class centre-backs are few and far between. You’d be buying him for the next 10 or 12 years.

At 21, Stones has the ability to become one of the greatest defenders England has produced. When I think of great defenders, two words come to mind — clean sheets.

Franco Baresi? One of my idols, he won all there was to win with AC Milan. He also had the class to step comfortably into midfield. But what did he love doing most of all? Keeping clean sheets. Fabio Cannavaro? He won the Ballon d’Or in 2006 and led Italy to that year’s World Cup. His greatest strength? Keeping clean sheets.

I didn’t see Rio Ferdinand, a player with whom Stones has been compared, coming out with the ball and playing nice passes. I think of him and Nemanja Vidic forming Europe’s best central-defensive partnership for four years.

I was obsessed with defensive records as a player. I’m particularly proud of the club record Liverpool set in 2005-06 when we kept 11 consecutive clean sheets.

Rio defended Stones (right) from recent criticism, but it’s come from Everton f ans whose team have conceded 20 goals at home, the highest of any Premier League club so far. Local frustration, then, is understandable.

Everton’s top centre halves were no-nonsense players; Brian Labone, Dave Watson, Kevin Ratcliffe.

It’s how I was described, too, and whenever I go on about Stones that gets thrown at me.

But the priority was to keep out the opposition. Liverpool’s great 1978-79 squad conceded only 16 goals in 42 games. Alan Hansen, another who exuded elegance, was at the heart of that defence.

In the games that matter, more often than not, the successful team keeps a clean sheet and Everton — without a trophy since 1995 — need to do that on Wednesday when they take a 2-1 lead to Manchester City for the second leg of the Capital One Cup semi-final.

This is a huge game for Everton and Stones. Yes, they got a 0-0 draw on league duty at the Etihad 10 days ago but Stones’ tackle on Raheem Sterling in the last minute could have led to a penalty.

His defending is lacking intensity and he doesn’t see danger early enough. Look at John Terry’s injury-time equaliser last Saturday. He was offside but four or five seconds before the ball reaches Terry, Stones can see him.

I’d have wanted to get across and do anything I could to stop the ball coming to him.

This is all part and parcel of growing up as a central defender. You make mistakes when you’re young and it’s better his education is at Goodison. I said when Chelsea were bidding for him he should stay and nothing has changed my mind.

Another season after this at Goodison won’t stop him getting to the top. He has to start Euro 2016 alongside Chris Smalling. And Roy Hodgson, like so many others, knows what Stones can become. Now he must achieve it by keeping the example of Baresi in mind.

For the best defenders, nothing looks better than a zero at the final whistle.