Our favourite defender, bar none, was Rio Ferdinand.
The nuts and bolts of defending is seldom as watchable as the more creative side of the game but Rio made it into an art form.
He was tough, strong and decisive. But he also had a first touch that many a top level striker would be proud of. Rio made defending look effortless and he was also a beautiful passer of the ball.
So it’s good to hear that Manchester United could make a move for one of the few players who could develop a similar skill set.
The Mirror states:
Manchester United enter John Stones chase – and hope to capitalise on Everton’s fury with Chelsea
Chelsea’s very public courting of the player has reportedly left a very bad taste in the mouth of Martinez and this could, ultimately, push him into the arms of another grateful club.
Stones has been a revelation in The Premier League. He’s just 21 but he’s already mastered the physical side of the game in England.
And, on top of this, he has similar elegance and skill to the great man. He’s not there yet, of course, but at such a young age he is full of promise and will be a great player for whichever team he plays for.
The Toffees clearly have no desire to let him go and the player himself seems settled at Goodison.
So this one seems unlikely to happen this summer. But we can easily imagine Manchester United taking a serious interest in Stones because he’s marvellous player of rare skill for a defender.
Let’s see him in action.
Manchester United fans: A perfect addition?