ROBERTO MARTINEZ believes John Stones will benefit from the latest test of his character and insists he can go on to become “one of the greatest players England has ever seen.”
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| John Stones has received three yellow cards this term in 21 Premier League appearances |
“My take is John is 21,” said Martinez. “He has played 68 games in the Premier League and I would never assess or judge a player until he has plays 100 games in any league.
“If you play 100 games in League Two you are a League Two player, if you play 100 games in the Premier League you can be judged in that manner.
“What I would say is John Stones has got an incredible potential. He is still a young man and he is in the right environment to develop that potential into becoming a very, very experienced footballer.
“Whatever the judgement from the outside and the criticism, we accept it that is part of the role. But John Stones is in the perfect environment to fulfil that potential and become one of the greatest players England has ever seen.”
Martinez continued: “We speak to the players every single day so that they can improve as a footballer. John is the first one to know when he plays well and when he plays badly.
“He does not need people to let him know. Football is a game of errors, a game where you have to learn from those situations.
“But in the same way you need to feel the support and warmth of your football club and your people. John has that in huge amounts and probably it is a period he will benefit from once more.
“He is a young man who has been through a lot and some of the performances this season have been magnificent.
“Is he the finished article? Clearly not because he is 21 and he has played only 68 games.”
James McCarthy has been held back following his recovery from a hip injury with this game in mind.
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