Stones goes from brink of retirement to World Cup 'pure joy'

John Stones' inclusion in England's World Cup squad raised some eyebrows, and the defender himself admits he would have been surprised had he been told at his lowest point that his country would still need him. The 32-year-old says he had to "dig deep" to navigate one of the most challenging periods of his career before securing his place in the 26-player group.

From retirement thoughts to World Cup starter

Stones is in line to start England's tournament opener against Croatia on Wednesday, despite revealing last October that he had considered retirement after a series of injuries. The Manchester City defender is highly regarded by manager Thomas Tuchel and could be a fixture in the side if he can stay fit, which has not been a given in recent years.

"It was a difficult period when I said that [about retiring] and I hope I don't get to that again," Stones told BBC Sport. "We can all compare ourselves to all the people or different players, different eras and think about how their journey was or how it could have been different and I am a culprit of that - 'why are these things happening to me? It doesn't happen to other people'.

"And I really had to dig deep and I am proud of myself for being so mentally strong throughout and coming out the other end of those scenarios or situations. I feel like one of my greatest achievements is to keep coming back from those setbacks, no matter how big they are and being on top form and going back into games and playing at such a high level."

Fitness concerns and Tuchel's backing

Stones played just 439 minutes of Premier League football in the season just ended, featuring in only 18 games for City across all competitions. He missed two months with a thigh injury and had to sit out England's two friendly matches before Tuchel picked his squad because of a calf problem. However, Stones insists he has been "fit, pretty much all season."

Tuchel gave his backing to Stones, selecting him ahead of Harry Maguire and Levi Colwill, stating that the defender remains a "big part" of his plans and has "a lot of credit in the bank." Stones started alongside Aston Villa's Ezri Konsa in England's latest friendly and could be given the nod ahead of Manchester City teammate Marc Guehi for the Croatia game.

Sixth major tournament for England

This will be Stones' sixth major tournament for England, having helped the side reach the semi-finals and quarter-finals of the previous two World Cups. He announced in April that he will leave Manchester City this summer.

"I love being here and I think that goes without saying," Stones said. "But when I got the call off of the manager, I think he saw the kid inside of me, how I reacted it where I couldn't really control myself. It was like the first time, just pure joy coming out of me, and I think that is one of the qualities that he loves - how all of this group can be ourselves as players."