Jude Bellingham has claimed that Manchester City have a defender who is one of the best in the world.
Bellingham starred in England’s 1-0 win against Serbia — scoring the decisive opener and showcasing once again why he is one of the best players in world football.
The Real Madrid superstar is a man for the big occasion and despite being just 20 years of age, he already seems to be making a habit of turning up in major tournaments for his nation.
But Bellingham aside, one of the biggest highlights of England’s hard-fought victory was their defensive solidity, with the likes of Kyle Walker, John Stones, Marc Guehi and Kieran Trippier putting a real shift in.
Jude Bellingham makes big John Stones claim after England beat Serbia
Heading into Euro 2024, it seemed like the Three Lions’ defence was their primary worry.
Against Serbia, such worries were put to bed as the English defenders put their bodies on the line to keep a clean sheet.
After the contest, Bellingham praised Marc Guehi, while pointing out how playing with a world-class centre-back like Stones helped him.
On ITV Sport, he said: “Brilliant. He picked the lines amazingly. He played against two, for me, really good centre-forwards at this level, [Dusan] Vlahovic and [Aleksandar] Mitrovic, I think, two really, really tricky customers and he was unbelievable. It helps a lot when you have [John] Stonesy beside him, one of the best around but yeah, I thought he was fantastic.”
John Stones could boost his legacy based on how he fares at Euro 2024
As Bellingham claimed, Stones is indeed one of the best defenders in the world.
However, if the £250,000-a-week man has a tournament to remember, he could further boost his legacy.
Considering the experienced Harry Maguire’s absence, if Stones delivers at the European Championship game after game, he could be viewed as a modern great of English football. With how incredible the 30-year-old has been at club level, he could solidify his reputation as a defender who deserves to be named alongside John Terry, Rio Ferdinand and Sol Campbell as one of his country’s finest to date if he has a brilliant tournament.
For now, Stones’ focus will be on taking things game by game.