John Stones Quotes

I'm a defender, and my first job is to make the team secure at the back; that's my primary responsibility.

As a defender I try to keep clean sheets.

I think I am a good help defender as well as just bringing a lot of communication to the floor.

I've always liked taking the ball out of defence and I will carry on doing that but at the end of the day I'm a defender, and that's what I want to be known as - a defender, getting in the blocks and the headers that people don't recognise I do, the dirty stuff that every defender should do and should be good at.

I think I'm a great defender, to be honest.

As a defender, we take pride in getting clean sheets.

Ashley Cole is a fantastic defender. I have seen him keep the best players in the world quiet.

I like every aspect of defense; I enjoy shutting down the offense.

It's the striker's job to put the ball in the net and it's up to us to make important tackles and blocks.

When I was young, we used to do drills to get a feel for the man you were marking.

Being a presence on the defensive end, I know that's important to me, I have to establish that.

I do like to play and pass the ball. But first and foremost I see myself as a defender: blocking, tackling, heading.

Any good defensive team has a strong anchor, because he cleans up mistakes.

For me, the defender I respect the most is Giorgio Chiellini. He's one of the best defenders in the world. I really like the way he plays football on the pitch, the way he defends. He lives for the game. He transmits a sense of tranquillity to his team-mates. I have always admired his way to play.

That's how you get better on defense; not just 'oh, man, my guy beat me,' but you have to think about, 'okay, my man beat me, so I either have to pick up the next man, or I'm going to give somebody a foul.

When you haven't got the ball, while we're defending, sometimes I am not always where I need to be.

I like consistency in defenders.

Any good attacker will always beat a defender who's face-marking you.

If we don't start playing better on defense, it's going to be hard. We can't just sit there and win shootouts.

Defending isn't just about tackling and heading, it's also about getting the ball down and playing - starting the attack from the back.

I know when I step into midfield I have to sharpen my feet up and be more aware of what's around me, at centre back it's more about timing, positioning and communication.

On the defensive end, I have to do my job.

I think as a central defender you grow as a player.

When I first came to Arsenal, I didn't know how to defend.

When you play defense what happens is everybody pays attention and they start talking about how you're the stopper, you can stop this guy. All of a sudden your game gets better on the offensive end and you become that versatile guard that everybody wants.