Sylvain Distin believes John Stones has a big future at Everton.
The young defender partnered the Frenchman in the heart of defence for Tuesday night’s Capital One Cup tie with Fulham.
The Blues may have departed West London bitterly disappointed by their exit from the competition – but Distin believes Stones was one of the bright spots in his second competitive start for the Club.
He said: “John Stones did really well. He has a great mentality, is working really hard in training and is a great guy as well. He is listening and has everything you need to be successful.
“Maybe I’m a bit old school, but some younger players can be flashy and are difficult to communicate with – but John is not like that. He is a really good guy and his mentality is even better than his obvious attributes.”
Signed from Barnsley in January, Stones has been eased into life with the Blues but the 19-year-old caught the attention of fans in pre-season with his display against Juventus in San Francisco and his precocious chipped penalty in the shoot-out.
His potential as a future first-team regular is something Distin and the other members of the Everton squad are well aware of.
He added: “I’m not surprised by how he has progressed. He is young but very mature. We train with him so we are not surprised. Some people may not see much of him, but we see him every single day and we know what he is capable of.”