If Harry Kane is often described as a role model, it is not just to emerging footballers. He serves a particular inspiration for one long-time teammate right now. The celebrations for the England captain’s 100th cap, earned against Finland on Tuesday and marked with two goals, are fuelling an ambition in John Stones.
He is only 19 away from joining the striker in the ranks of England’s centurions. He has an eye on his own hundred. “Definitely,” he said. There is a lot left in the tank. “Yeah, 100 percent. To see Harry do that, I never thought I would get 50 caps and to hit 75, I have done that, and 81 now. I got told I got level with Rio [Ferdinand] on 81, that is a massive achievement for me personally and it is a bit strange to say.”
Strange and yet Stones, who went past John Terry’s tally during Euro 2024, has already surpassed Ferdinand in another respect. Terry and Ferdinand never played in a semi-final in their international careers. Stones is one of only six Englishmen to start two finals, along with Jordan Pickford, Kyle Walker, Luke Shaw, Declan Rice and Kane. It also means they have tasted disappointment on both occasions.
“The last time was difficult,” Stones said. “This time it was different, a different feeling around everything. A different process through the tournament with how we played and how we managed everything. To get to another final is incredible, and I really believed we could do it. Personally, emotionally, I was upset straight away and then angry. I had anger at myself, the outcome of it. You always feel you can do more… ‘What if this happened? What if I did that?’. That is just the pure emotion of being self-critical. Not getting there again, having that hurt again. It was hard for me. I kind of box it away and try to not think about the pain. It’s deep. It’s hard to witness and be a part of. It is never going to be easy and I feel this one really, really hurt.”
Stones is both self-critical and analytical about his side. England scrapped their way to the final of Euro 2024, where they lost 2-1 to Spain. “I feel how we played and how we got back into the game was probably a good reflection of our tournament, the fight, the horrible stuff, the desire and the pride that came over us,” he added. “It is hard for me to say there is one or two things we could have done differently. We will never be able to change that. I feel proud of what we achieved in that tournament. It’s not what we wanted obviously but I feel everyone is going to have different personal emotions towards it.”
Defeat in Berlin brought an era to an end. Stones won 68 caps under Gareth Southgate – only Kane and Walker played more – but the manager has resigned. “It was an absolute pleasure to be around Gareth personally and professionally,” Stones said. “How he worked, how he conducted himself, through tough times as well, how he stuck by me.”
England are now in limbo, with Lee Carsley in temporary charge. For Stones, who had the same managers for both club and country since 2016, in Pep Guardiola and Southgate, change is particularly unusual. “A little bit strange, eight years with Gareth and Steve [Holland], I’ve not had many changes in my career with managers,” he said.
Carsley has provided an injection of fresh blood into the squad. It was entirely unsurprising that Stones was retained, however. While Marc Guehi had a terrific Euro 2024, to put pressure on Harry Maguire for his place, while Levi Colwill looks a favourite of the interim appointment. Ezri Konsa started alongside Stones for the 2-0 win over Finland, and the Manchester City man still looks first among equals.
“There are a lot of new and younger players in the squad, that’s good for me – and I didn’t think I’d be saying this – as one of the older guys in the squad,” he said. “To see that energy and fight, I’ve been in their shoes. It’s a lot different to when I first came into the squad.”
And to revisit Stones’s international career is to remember his debut came just before the 2014 World Cup, when England went out after two games; that he was in the squad for Euro 2016, which culminated in defeat to Iceland. In that context, it is easy to understand why he never imagined bringing up his half-century, let alone going on to 100. Only World Cup winners Jack Charlton and Bobby Moore have achieved more as England centre-backs; only Moore and Billy Wright have won 100 caps in that position. Now Stones hopes to join them.