John Stones to leave Manchester City at end of season after 10 years at club

Stones won six Premier League, one Champions League, two FA Cups, five League Cups, one Club World Cup, one Super Cup and three Community Shields during his time at the club.

The defender played 293 times for City during his decade in Manchester, after moving from Everton for a fee of £47.5million.

He has been known for his ball-playing ability, being dubbed "The Barnsley Beckenbauer" by fans, in reference to Germany's greatest-ever defender, Franz Beckenbauer, who revolutionised the defensive role.

He came under fire in his first few seasons for some high-profile mistakes, but Pep Guardiola remained confident in the Englishman.

Stones formed a solid partnership with Ruben Dias in the heart of the City backline, being named in the PFA Team of the Year.

For the 2022/23 season, he morphed into a hybrid of a defender and a midfielder, regularly stepping up from the back and getting involved higher up the pitch.

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His performance in the 2023 Champions League final against Inter Milan was iconic, where he completed seven out of seven dribbles, a feat previously only matched in finals by players like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Stones scored 19 times for City and registered nine assists in a decade filled with success and glory.

The England international has had several iconic moments in a City shirt, including his goal-line clearance against Liverpool in 2019.

Stones went to clear the ball but smashed it into a diving Ederson, with the ball spinning up in the air, heading into the City goal.

By just 1.12cm goal-line clearance, Stones cleared the ball off the line, a save that essentially won the league.

In 2024, the City defender scored a huge 98th-minute equaliser against Arsenal, proving he was still a big-game player.

The 31-year-old could add two more trophies to his lengthy cabinet, with the Citizens still in pursuit of a domestic treble this season.

City have five games left in the Premier League, with Stones' former side Everton up next for Guardiola's men.

In mid-May, they return to Wembley for the FA Cup final against Chelsea, where Stones could make his 23rd appearance at the iconic stadium in a City shirt.

The title race is going down to the wire, with City currently three points behind Arsenal but a game in hand.

Guardiola's remaining fixtures in the league after Everton are Brentford at home, Bournemouth away, Crystal Palace at home and Aston Villa at home on the final day.

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