- Stones announces Man City exit in heartfelt interview ahead of June contract expiry
- Englishman has struggled to maintain fitness for club and country this season
- Everton among clubs interested to sign six-time Premier League winner
Manchester City defender John Stones has announced that he will be leaving the club when his contract expires this summer.
The 31-year-old is out of contract at the Etihad Stadium in June and in contention to make Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for the upcoming FIFA World Cup.
Stones has struggled for minutes and fitness again this term and has proved unreliable from a fitness standpoint, prompting club officials to enter the January market and sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace for £20 million.
“I want him to be fit” – Pep Guardiola admits injuries have held John Stones back at Manchester City
Since joining forces with Pep Guardiola in 2016 from Everton, Stones has established himself as one of the finest defenders to play in the Premier League, winning six league titles and the UEFA Champions League among a plethora of silverware under the Manchester City manager.
Stones to leave Man City this summer
In a heartfelt video interview released across Stones’ and Manchester City’s channels on Tuesday afternoon, it has been confirmed that the Barnsley-born defender will leave the Blues in June.
“It’s been a rollercoaster in many ways,” the centre-half said. “I came as a kid and now leaving as a man, becoming a father, a husband, and on the pitch a very fulfilled player I suppose and living all my dreams out, and lifting all the things that I came here to achieve.
“At the start of my career here, I never would’ve thought I’d be in this position. Firstly, achieving everything, but to have the love, the bond with everyone. Every dream has been smashed out of the park.
“From day one, as soon as I came, I felt at home and felt loved. I think I can only relate it to me as a little kid; if you said to me that I’d be playing at Manchester City, winning everything, the fans are singing your name, your song throughout the stadium, wherever you go in the world, I don’t think I would’ve believed them.”
What is Stones’ message to the Man City fanbase?
On his relationship with the Manchester City fans, the Englishman added: “The Man City fans, yeah they mean everything to me. I hope that they can…I hope that I’ve made them proud.
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“I hope that they can relate to me as a person, and as a player, with how I’ve played, how I’ve represented the club, and will do for the rest of my life.
“Manchester City will always be my home, and I’m thankful, honestly, from the bottom of my heart. This is my team forever, it always will be, and I can’t speak…I haven’t got the words to kind of say what I feel and how much I love everything about it.”
Stones follows in the footsteps of club captain Bernardo Silva, who has also confirmed he will be leaving Manchester City when his own deal expires in June.
