John Stones has revealed he is always looking to learn from Erling Haaland in training to become an even better defender. Haaland has been sensational since he joined Manchester City from Borussia Dortmund in the summer, with his goals firing the Blues to the cusp of a historic treble.
The Norwegian sensation's 36 Premier League strikes means he has scored more in a single campaign than anyone else and he has bagged a remarkable 52 in all competitions.
Every defender Haaland has faced knows how hard he is to deal with and Stones is always challenging him in training to improve his own game. Read next: Man City player ratings as Ilkay Gundogan and Kyle Walker excellent “Everyone expects him to score every game now with how many goals he has scored all season and that is not the reality of football," he said. "I do my best in training to try and stop him and learn from him with what he is so good at and try to bring something new to my game to improve myself from a world-class striker.” Stones has made waves this season by playing a hybrid role by stepping out of defence when City have the ball to become an extra midfielder.
It's a complicated task which makes his performances even more impressive and he has opened up on the complexities it involves. “I think football is always evolving," he added. "The manager has so many good ideas that he tries to get across to us as players and we try to adapt.