John Stones finally earned his England recall after missing three international camps.
He made the 26-man squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against San Marino, Albania and Poland.
“It’s a huge plus for us,” the England head coach said at a press conference shortly after the squad was announced.
“John has played a lot of internationals for us. For a period, we weren’t sure whether he was going to be able to recapture that form and when you invest as much time and as many caps in a player like that and he disappears, that’s a huge disappointment.
“John deserves huge credit for turning that round, finding that level of consistency. He’s played a big part in what’s looking like being a hugely successful season for Manchester City, although they will be quick to say they have not achieved what they want to yet.”
Stones has built up a solid partnership with Ruben Dias at the City backline, having them their 17th cleansheet in a stretch of 24 games this season.
“He fits the profile of the way we want to play,” added the Three Lions’ boss. “He is so comfortable with the ball bringing it out, but he’s got speed in defence as well. It is great for us to have him back. “
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