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During a delicate era for English football in which there is a severe lack of defenders who can live up to the legends that forged men like Rio Ferdinando or John Terry, there is a young player who is having a successful development and will be very important for the Three Lions in the years to come. That lad is of course, Manchester City centre-back John Stones, his arrival to English football has been a blessing after the exit of symbols like the ones previously mentioned.
Fellow Englishman Jonathan Woodgate, who had a short period at Real Madrid and didn't really make a huge impact, believes Stones would be a perfect fit for Spanish football. But leaving Pep Guardiola could prove impossible at this point, however, dreaming about the possibility is something that Woodgate doesn't shy away from.
Talking to 888sport about that idea, he said: “In Spain he would be absolutely adored. He gets the rough end of the stick, but fair play to him because he’ll keep on trying things. If he gives it away he goes again because he’s confident and has a pair of b *** s. He wants to play out and that’s why Pep Guardiola bought him. Sometimes he needs to learn when not to do it but we’re talking about a 22 year old here. We should be embracing him for how good he is on the ball. He needs to learn a few bits and pieces but that will come: there are not many defenders who come complete at his age. He needs to be given a chance and he should play for England for the next 12 years because he’s that good a player.
“I’ve seen some of the things he’s done at Everton and just think ‘oh my God’. I’m excited watching it. I even rewind it back because I love that type of centre-half! And I hear he’s a really nice, sound lad too which is good. We need to give English centre-halves a chance or the national team will suffer. The quality is good but the numbers aren’t there. Phil Jagielka is 34, you have Stones and Michael Keane while Ben Gibson is coming through at Middlesbrough.
“But when I was coming through I was competing against Sol Campbell, Rio Ferdinand, John Terry, Jamie Carragher and Ledley King. There was a load of us competing for places with Martin Keown and Gareth Southgate as well. Now we have so few because foreign players outweigh English players a lot so the English lads aren’t being given a chance to play. We can’t get them from the youth teams into the first teams and their pathways are getting blocked. Look at Chelsea who have won the UEFA Under 18 League twice on the spin and they’re still waiting. Back in the day if you won a youth cup a couple of those players would get into the first team. The quality is there without a doubt. We’re just not giving them a chance.”
About his short-lived time in Real Madrid, Woodgate said: “I just laugh. I’m not really bothered about it to be honest as it’s just part of life. I was just unlucky that it happened on my debut but there are not many who can say they played for Real Madrid so you just move on. In the week after I was fine because I was back after injury and we won the game. Defenders score own-goals and get sent off. Okay it happened in the one game but you just get on with it.”
Photo credit: Manchester City FC
