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Harry Kane is often held up as a role model, but it is not just for young footballers. He is now an inspiration to a long-time team-mate. The England captain’s celebrations of his 100th game, which included two goals against Finland on Tuesday, are fuelling John Stones’ ambition.
He is just 19 caps away from joining the striker in the England centurion ranks. He has his eye on his own hundred. “Definitely,” he said. He has plenty of potential left. “Yes, 100 per cent. Seeing Harry do that, I never thought I would get to 50 caps and to get to 75, I did, and 81 now. I was told I was on a par with Rio. [Ferdinand] “At 81, it’s a huge accomplishment for me personally and it’s a bit strange to say.”
Oddly enough, Stones, who overtook John Terry at Euro 2024, has already surpassed Ferdinand in another way. Terry and Ferdinand have never played in a semi-final in their international careers. Stones is one of six England players to have started two finals, along with Jordan Pickford, Kyle Walker, Luke Shaw, Declan Rice and Kane. It also means they have experienced disappointment each time.
“Last time was tough,” Stones said. “This time was different, a different feeling. A different process throughout the tournament, the way we played and the way we handled everything. To get to another final is incredible, and I really believed we could do it. Personally, emotionally, I was upset right away, then angry. I was angry at myself, at the result. You always feel like you can do more… ‘What if this happened? What if I did this?’ It’s just the pure emotion of self-criticism. Not getting there again, being hurt again. It was tough for me. I put that aside and try not to think about the pain. It’s deep. It’s hard to witness and be a part of. It’s never going to be easy and I feel like this time it really hurts.”
Stones is both self-critical and analytical about his team. England reached the Euro 2024 final, where they lost 2-1 to Spain. “I think the way we played and the way we came back probably reflects our tournament, the fight, the horrible things, the desire and the pride that came through,” he added. “It’s hard for me to say if there’s one or two things we could have done differently. We can never change that. I’m proud of what we achieved in this tournament. It’s obviously not what we wanted, but I think everyone will have different personal emotions about it.”
The defeat in Berlin ended an era. Stones was capped 68 times under Gareth Southgate (only Kane and Walker played more), but the manager resigned. “It was an absolute pleasure to be around Gareth, personally and professionally,” Stones said. “The way he worked, the way he carried himself, the way he got through the tough times, and the way he stuck by me.”
England are now in limbo, with Lee Carsley taking over as interim manager. For Stones, who has had the same managers at club and country since 2016 in Pep Guardiola and Southgate, the change is particularly unusual. “It’s a bit strange, eight years with Gareth and Steve [Holland]”I haven’t had many changes in my career with managers,” he said.
Carsley has brought some fresh blood to the squad. It is no surprise, however, that Stones has been retained. While Marc Guehi had a superb Euro 2024, putting pressure on Harry Maguire for his place, Levi Colwill appears to be the frontrunner for the interim role. Ezri Konsa started alongside Stones in the 2-0 win over Finland, and the Manchester City player still seems to be first among equals.
“There are a lot of new players and young players in the team, which is good for me – and I didn’t think I’d say this – as one of the oldest players in the team,” he said. “To see that energy and that fighting spirit, I’ve been in their shoes. It’s very different from when I first came into the team.”
And looking back at Stones’ international career, it’s worth remembering that his debut came just before the 2014 World Cup, when England were eliminated after two games, and he was in the squad for Euro 2016, which ended in defeat by Iceland. In that context, it’s easy to see why he never imagined he’d turn 50, let alone 100. Only World Cup winners Jack Charlton and Bobby Moore have done better as England centre-backs; only Moore and Billy Wright have won 100 caps in that position. Stones is now hoping to join them.
