RIO FERDINAND has launched an impassioned defence of Everton’s John Stones and insisted he needs to make mistakes in order to develop.
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| Rio Ferdinand has leaped to the defence of John Stones |
Former Manchester United and England defender Ferdinand called into the 606 phone-in on Radio Five Live on Monday night after Stones was criticised for his performance in Everton’s 4-3 defeat to Stoke.
Stones was given the slip by Bojan in the build up to Stoke’s opening goal and then was adjudged to have fouled Marko Arnautovic in the final minute to concede the penalty from which the visitors scored.
England youngster Stones was criticised by some Everton supporters on the radio show prompting Ferdinand to take on the critics.
He said: “It is typical of people in this country, ‘oh he makes mistakes. He tries to do flash things.’ He is the best ball playing centre half around at the moment.
“Give the kid a chance to play and to grow and to make mistakes. You have to make mistakes as a young kid. Allow him to do that because potentially he can go on to play for Barcelona, Real Madrid, the top clubs in this country and go on to become the captain of England.
“You can build a team around this kid. You cannot have people supressing him.”
Ferdinand cited his own personal experience as a teenager at West Ham to back up his argument and continued: “When I came through Harry Redknapp used to say to me, ‘Make mistakes, don’t worry but don’t make the same ones all the time’.”
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