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| Romelu Lukaku celebrates scoring Everton's equaliser at Upton Park |
IF you want to see an identikit of a world-class defender in the making then have a long look at John Stones.
Chelsea, Manchester City and Real Madrid certainly will if the Everton defender who played like Bobby Moore and John Terry all rolled into one yesterday keeps this up.
Stones, still only 21, stood tall to keep West Ham at bay and slap another £10million or so on his already massive price tag.
His Everton boss Roberto Martinez cooed: "John was immense in the way he handled someone like Andy Carroll. It was a magnificent performance.
"We had five defenders injured and he had to lead the back four today. He did it brilliantly."
But performances like that will make it even more difficult for Everton to hang onto a £50million-plus player who looks a stonewall certainty to lead England for a long time to come.
Hardly surprising that Martinez was joined in the Stones fan club by West Ham's Slaven Bilic.
He said: "I saw Stones playing against Newcastle two years ago when I was in Turkey and he was majestic. So calm and composed for one so young.
"He is definitely a quality player and today he did so well again against Carroll."
Stones was not alone, though.
The quality was such that you had to wonder why it took half an hour for a goal to come. But it was worth waiting for.
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| Manuel Lanzini celebrates giving West Ham the lead |
West Ham's star man, Victor Moses, opened Everton up, but Manuel Lanzini produced the goods that got the Hammers in front with a cracking goal.
The Argentinian didn't exactly have the goal at his mercy when Stones deflected Moses's cross into his path, but he picked his spot in the top corner superbly.
Mind you, Everton's equaliser 13 minutes later surely overtook it in the goal of the day stakes. A beauty from start to finish.
Gerard Deulofeu fed a magnificent pass for Romelu Lukaku to run onto and the young Belgian did the rest, rounding Adrian with ease before plonking the ball into an empty net.
The target man loves playing West Ham. That was the seventh consecutive goal he has scored against them.
A shame, then, that the second half didn't always live up to the first - with the exception of Stones, that is.
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| Stones was imperious against an attacking West Ham side |
Don't be surprised if football's big boys offer to bust the bank to get him next summer, or even before, if his performance yesterday is anything to go by.
West Ham's cause wasn't helped when substitute Enner Valencia lasted just 20 minutes before being stretchered off with an ankle injury that "doesn't look good" according to his manager.
To be fair his side kept hammering away, only to run into an Everton brick wall. Or a Stones one to be precise.
But as Bilic graciously added: "We can't be unhappy with the way we played in a good game against a good team that deserved a point in the end."
West Ham: Adrian; Jenkinson, Tomkins, Reid, Cresswell; Kouyate, Noble; Moses, Lanzini, Payet (Valencia 49, Zarate 69); Carroll (Jelavic 87).
Everton: Howard; Coleman, Stones, Funes Mori, Galloway; McCarthy, Barry; Deulofeu (Lennon 83), Barkley, Kone (Mirallas 64); Lukaku.
Man Of Match: John Stones. A tower of strength for Everton - and a stonewall cert for England for years if he keeps playing like this.
Referee: Paul Tierney.
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