John Stones emotionally announces his departure from Manchester City (Image: John Stones on Instagram)
England star John Stones fought back tears after announcing in an emotional statement that he would be leaving Manchester City this summer. The centre-back joined City from Everton in August 2016 for £47.5 million.
Stones went on to make 293 appearances for Pep Guardiola’s side. The 31-year-old helped City win 19 major trophies, including six Premier League titles, one UEFA Champions League title, two FA Cup titles and five Carabao Cup titles.
The defender announced his decision to leave the Etihad Stadium in a video on his official Instagram page. In a video released Tuesday, the Stones struggled to come to terms with their feelings.
He said: “This has been my home for the last 10 years and it will always be my home. It’s been a rollercoaster in so many ways. I came here as a kid and now I’m leaving as a man, a father, a husband, and on the pitch I’ve fulfilled all my dreams and achieved what I’ve achieved here. He has become a very fulfilled player who has accomplished everything he has done. At the start of his career, he never thought he would be in this position. First of all, it’s about being able to bond with everyone and love them.”
“All my dreams were dashed from the park. From day one, as soon as I came here, I felt at home and I felt loved. I can apply that to me as a young boy, if you had told me that you would play for City and win everything, and that wherever you go in the world the fans would be signing your name and your songs all over the stadium, I don’t think I would have believed you.”
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“The fans mean everything to me. I hope I can make them proud. I hope they can relate to me as a person and as a player in how I have played and represented the club and how I will conduct myself for the rest of my life.”
John Stones will go down as a legend at Etihad Airways (Image: John Stones on Instagram)
The highlight of Stone’s time at City was undoubtedly winning the Champions League in 2023. The 1-0 victory over Inter Milan also secured the treble for Guardiola’s side, after winning the Premier League title and the FA Cup that season.
The former Barnsley player said: “In that (Champions League final) game and after that game, I felt like with all the setbacks that I went through and the positives that I took away, it was worth it to go through an experience that people don’t necessarily get to see, and to be able to celebrate and celebrate it the way I did with all my family and friends was incredible.”
Stones is the only player to have been in City’s first team throughout Guardiola’s tenure as manager.
He added: “Coach, how can I describe the last 10 years with him? I don’t think we would have had as much success as we did without him. When I first met him, I left and I knew that this was what I wanted to do and where I wanted to play for the best manager in the world.”
“I’m so grateful that I got to spend so much time with him, win everything, share so many great moments and spend so much time with him. I feel so lucky and grateful for everything he did for me. I have endless memories with everyone that I will cherish forever.”
“I’ve been very fortunate to have great people in every locker room and I’m so happy to be with them all. This will always be my home and I’m grateful from the bottom of my heart. This will always be my team and always will be. There are no words to describe how I feel and how much I love everything about it.”
Stones has seen less playing time this season due to injuries and new additions to the defense. Marc Gehi and Abdukkodir Kusanov (both signed in the last 18 months) form a partnership in the heart of defence, with Ruben Dias still expected to return.
Stones’ departure was announced shortly after captain Bernardo Silva confirmed he would be leaving the Etihad Airways this summer.
Both players, who played key roles in one of City’s most glorious eras, will receive well-deserved red-offs.
