Pep Guardiola proud after the return of John Stones to Manchester City | Football news

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says he never lost faith in John Stones and praised the defender’s “incredible” mentality for fighting to get back to the team.

Guardiola admits that Stones has “struggled” at City since his £ 50m transfer from Everton in 2016, something he attributes to the England international’s injury problems and his adaptation to the pressure of playing for his new club.

The City manager had questioned the Stones’ future at City in July, but the defender has worked hard off the field to improve his fitness and has shown it this season, with Guardiola choosing him in four of the last five games. from the City.

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Stones is a strong contender to start Saturday’s Manchester derby – live Sky Sports Premier League – after regaining his place on Guardiola’s side and the Spaniard is proud of the way he has recovered at City.

“I am incredibly happy for John Stones,” Guardiola said. Sky Sports News. “In the end, the players have to prove it themselves, we can’t help them at certain points.

“I never changed my mind. When we bought it from Everton we thought it had the quality to do it. But footballers are not just footballers they are human beings, human beings have problems and personal lives.

“Some footballers when they have a problem outside, they forget it when they are inside and others put the problems inside.

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“He came here when he was a young boy, only 21 or 22, and immediately everything started to happen with the England team and playing here in the Champions League, which he had never played before. And sometimes you need time and a process to settle down.” . and some players need more time than others.

“We know the quality that he has and I am especially happy because he is an incredible person. In good times he is always there and in bad times, he fights and was always with the team.

“This behavior will help him have a long, long career and live for this amazing job for a long time. Just the mindset and positivity. He turned it around and hopefully he can continue not just in the next few seasons as well.”

Stones: how the defender claimed Pep’s trust

John Stones could be a key figure at the heart of Manchester City’s defense in the Manchester derby on Saturday. That seemed an unlikely prospect a month ago, but the central defender has regained Pep Guardiola’s confidence.

Here Sky Sports News North West reporter Ben Ransom explains how …

“I think you have to give the Stones a lot of credit,” said Ransom, who covers Manchester City. “He left during the summer, when they had that lockdown period, and he worked really hard to try to get in shape and get into a position where when football could resume he would be fit and able to make the most of his step for Man City, which with Guardiola has slipped a bit.

“There is an element of trust here and I felt a certain sympathy. Guardiola, as we know, is a coach who demands absolutely 100 percent of his players at all times and is a very intense character. For some players that is a natural fit and for others it takes a little getting used to.

“I think with Stones it took a bit of getting used to. The thing about Stones is that the criticism of him was always that he had a mistake in him. And when he made that mistake, very often, unfortunately for him, City were punished. “. – and Guardiola was on the touchline, giving him both barrels each time. “

Read the full feature here …

Pep on why ‘fun’ training is so important during a pandemic

Guardiola and his Premier League teammates have had to adapt to the challenges posed by the pandemic this season. The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss says a key part of that is taking into account how government restrictions are affecting players in their private lives.

“We have learned and we have tried to convince the players to be calmer than ever,” he adds. “The players are here, they can’t go out, they can’t go to a restaurant, they can’t enjoy a social life to improve their lives.

“So you have to have more fun with your training, more soccer than ever, stay home with the family as much as you can and come here just to play soccer and that’s it.

“It’s important not to take everything too seriously. It’s our job and we love it, but don’t worry too much about the results because it’s a long season until May.

“People can’t do as much what they normally like to do, so you don’t have to be as involved in the private lives of the players, as coaches tend to do when preparing for matches.”