Football Apr 29, 2026

John Stones: Man City defender to follow Bernardo Silva out the exit door this summer

👤
By Admin
Sports Journalist
John Stones: Man City defender to follow Bernardo Silva out the exit door this summer

John Stones has announced he will leave Manchester City at the end of the season.

Stones will follow another club legend, , through the exit door this summer as a free agent upon the expiry of his contract as City prepare for another big summer of change.

The England defender's final season at City has been hit by injuries which have restricted him to just four Premier League starts – but he leaves with a legacy of being one of Pep Guardiola's most important signings.

Stones was the second arrival under Guardiola, joining City from Everton for £47.5m in the summer of 2016, and has enjoyed a trophy-laden decade at the Etihad.

The 31-year-old has lifted 19 major trophies at City, including six Premier League titles, one Champions League, two FA Cups, five Carabao Cups and was part of the treble-winning side in 2022/23.

Stones and Silva will become the latest City legends to depart after Kevin De Bruyne, Kyle Walker and Ederson left last summer.

When announcing his departure on Instagram, Stones said: "It has been my home for the past 10 years and it will be my home for the rest of my life.

"It has been a rollercoaster in many ways. 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 lived all my dreams out and lifted all the things that I came here to achieve.

"At the start of my career here I never would have thought I would be in this position. Firstly, to achieve everything but to have the love, the bond with everyone. Every dream has been smashed out of the park."

Stones made his first start for more than a month at Wembley against Southampton in the FA Cup semi-final because of injury issues keeping him from playing.

Guardiola made the defender captain for the 2-1 comeback win and was full of praise for his influence at City over the last decade when speaking about him pre-match.

Explaining his decision to bring Stones back into the XI, Guardiola told TNT Sports: "Finally, he has had three weeks or a month without injuries. Unfortunately, he had a lot in these last two seasons.

"He was our first signing when I arrived here. Difficult to understand the big success that we had without him, on and off the pitch. He is just adorable and a top player."

Tags:

football news

Share this article

Related Posts

Tottenham: Roberto De Zerbi 'proud' of win at Aston Villa but warns 'don't forget the situation we were in'

Tottenham: Roberto De Zerbi 'proud' of win at Aston Villa but warns 'don't forget the situation we were in'

Roberto De Zerbi has spoken of his pride at seeing his Tottenham team beat Aston Villa, but warned against forgetting the situation his side were in j...

Manchester United: Kobbie Mainoo stars with match-winning goal against Liverpool after 'nightmare' exile under Ruben Amorim

Manchester United: Kobbie Mainoo stars with match-winning goal against Liverpool after 'nightmare' exile under Ruben Amorim

Kobbie Mainoo emphatically underlined his revival under Michael Carrick by slotting in Man Utd's winning goal against Liverpool on Sunday. Shut out of...

Liverpool: Jamie Carragher is worried for where Arne Slot's side are heading

Liverpool: Jamie Carragher is worried for where Arne Slot's side are heading

Jamie Carragher is worried for where Liverpool are heading under Arne Slot, questioning what the identity of his team is.Liverpool were beaten 3-2 by...

Sir Alex Ferguson: Man Utd legend taken to hospital after feeling unwell ahead of his former side's Premier League game with Liverpool

Sir Alex Ferguson: Man Utd legend taken to hospital after feeling unwell ahead of his former side's Premier League game with Liverpool

Sir Alex Ferguson was taken to hospital after feeling unwell ahead of Manchester United vs Liverpool on Sunday. The 84-year-old legendary United boss,...

Aston Villa 1-2 Tottenham Hotspur: Roberto De Zerbi's side move out of the relegation zone after crucial win at Villa Park

Aston Villa 1-2 Tottenham Hotspur: Roberto De Zerbi's side move out of the relegation zone after crucial win at Villa Park

Tottenham breathed new life into their battle to stay in the Premier League with a 2-1 victory at Champions League-chasing Aston Villa to move out of...

Gary Neville believes Michael Carrick is in pole position for Man Utd job but doesn't believe he is the right profile for the role

Gary Neville believes Michael Carrick is in pole position for Man Utd job but doesn't believe he is the right profile for the role

Gary Neville believes Michael Carrick has put himself in pole position to become the next Man Utd manager after earning Champions League qualification...