Stones "doubt" whether he will play again

John Stones admits that he sometimes doubts whether his career will recover during a series of injury problems over the past two years.

The Manchester City and England centre-back only started six times in the Premier League in the 2024-25 season, due to thighs, feet and other undisclosed issues. Previously, he missed last season for two months due to a hip injury.

These setbacks prevented the 31-year-old from performing well in the 2022-23 season, when he played a hybrid defensive and midfield role, helping City win the triple-tall.

Stones said: "Yes, sometimes you think: you put in all this effort, you dedicated your life, especially how I handled or how I treated my life and football, I gave everything on and off the court just to come here or be ready to play... it was a dark day.

"I think everyone has gone through this and would think: 'Why is this happening? 'You hope it will go a different path. This is self-doubt, many things. "It's frustrating. I put a lot of pressure on myself. I find it very challenging mentally.

" I've been through some very lows in the past seasons. I just have to [try] back, but once you get over these things, you can't really see the end of the tunnel when they keep happening. “We all have experienced different upbringing and challenges in life, what have we done in these situations—a fight or give up?” I was a fighter since I was a kid. In difficult times, you have to look at the big picture, realize what your morality is, what your belief is, and work to make it valuable.