Man City's John Stones Aims to Silence Critics as He Takes Leading Role in England Defence

Manchester City and England defender John Stones has claimed his performances speak for themselves, after helping to guide England to successive goalless draws against Germany and Brazil at Wembley. 

The 23-year old has previously come in for fierce criticism early in his career, with his decision making and positional awareness called into question on several occasions.

Laurence Griffiths/GettyImages

The £50m signing has impressed recently though after taking a more senior role in the heart of England's defence. 

"I think my performance speak for themselves," Stones said, as quoted by the Daily Mirror. "I've done my talking out there, wanted to improve. You can't argue with two clean sheets against top opposition.

Indeed, Stones has earned praise for his communicative skills with defensive partner Harry Maguire in the 0-0 draw against Germany last Friday, and for chaperoning the inexperienced Liverpool youngster Joe Gomez through a scoreless 90 minutes against a Brazilian team boasting world-class talent such as Neymar, Gabriel Jesus and Philippe Coutinho.

Laurence Griffiths/GettyImages

"It's about having a look at yourself, where you can improve and not shying away from where you've gone wrong." he added. "That's what pushes you to become a better player."

The Manchester City defender has ignored critics, who have previously questioned his style of play, continuing to play his way out of trouble and look for an attacking outlet. 

Stones has earned the backing of manager Gareth Southgate with his recent performances for club and country, and the centre-half will be a firm favourite to earn a starting berth for England at next summer's World Cup in Russia.

Stones will be back in action this weekend as table topping Manchester City look to continue their electrifying start to the Barclays Premier League season with a trip to Leicester City.