John Stones is looking to change the perception of the England national team as they go in search of their first ever European Championship.
It has been 53 years since the Three Lions won the World Cup (and 23 since 30 years of hurt was first sung) with England unable to get over the line in major tournaments despite the competitiveness of the Premier League in relation to their European counterparts.
Gareth Southgate's side take on Germany in the last-16 on Tuesday and, should they win, can take real confidence knowing their side of the draw that they can at least match their best performance in a tournament since: the semi-finals in 1996 and 2018.
Stones has been part of a Manchester City side that have taken English football by storm under Pep Guardiola, winning three of the past four league titles with a brand of attractive football that has won them fans across the world. City put winning above all else though, and the Blues centre-back is keen for that mentality to be seen in the national team as well.
“I’ve said it so many times, but we – and I, really – wanted to change the way the nation looks at the team and English football,” said Stones.
“I think we’ve taken massive strides in that since 2018 and it’s about doing it again. I don’t think we should put any more pressure on ourselves.
“There’s a trophy to be won here that’s never been won before and we should be super-excited by that, and go in with that fearlessness that we’ve had over these years.”
