John Stones typically epitomises the word 'composure' – but even the calmest of footballers have their limits.
Back in 2020, the Manchester City star was pushed beyond his by former Port Vale striker Tom Pope, who netted against the Citizens in a frosty (in more ways than one) FA Cup third round clash. Six months earlier, he'd ripped into Stones for being "soft" on social media.
"I know I'm a League Two player, I know he plays for England, I know he's on £150k a week, I know he's a million times better than me but I'd love to play against John Stones every week! I'd get 40 a season," he wrote, before signing off with "#soft".
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Fate intervened, and Pope got an opportunity to prove himself when Vale were drawn against City at the Etihad Stadium. Pep Guardiola's side ran out 4-1 victory, but Pope got on the scoresheet, just as he'd boasted he would.
After the match, the now 39-year-old said he was "dragged" into City's changing room by Raheem Sterling and Benjamin Mendy, much to Stones' displeasure. "Sterling and Mendy came in, 'get in here, we've hammered him for f***ing months over your tweet, the group chat has been f***ing mayhem'," Pope shared on the I Had Trials Once podcast.
"I'm like, 'I'm not coming in', they literally dragged me, I'm going 'I'm not coming in'. And then in the end they go, 'come on please, just come in'. So I walked in and they're like, 'he's here!' And Stones went, 'oh f*** off, no, no'. I went 'You f***ing s***bag you'.
"I said, 'you've let a pub player f***ing get in your head that much? Are you
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Benjamin Mendy