John Stones Religion

What religion is John Stones?

John Stones is an English professional footballer who is widely identified as Christian, though he keeps his personal and religious beliefs private.

John Stones plays as a centre-back or defensive midfielder for Serie A club Inter Milan. He also plays for the England national team and previously played for Manchester City, Everton, and Barnsley. Among his career achievements, Stones won the 2022–23 UEFA Champions League as part of a historic continental treble with City and was named to the FIFA FIFPro World 11. His other achievements include winning the Premier League in 2018, 2019, and 2021 and winning the FA Cup in 2019.

In June 2019, Stones helped the England team secure third place in the 2018-19 UEFA Nations League. He has since gone on to represent England at the FIFA World Cup in 2018, 2022, and 2026 alongside the UEFA European Championship in 2016, 2020, and 2024.

Early life

John Stones was born on May 28, 1994, in Barnsley, England. He is the son of English parents, and he grew up in the nearby village of Thurlstone. His father, Peter Stones, worked as a DHSS administrator and had played local amateur football.

When Stones was six years old, he began playing on the youth team of the grassroots club Penistone Church before joining the Barnsley academy. After progressing through the club’s youth setup, he signed his first professional contract with the senior team in December 2011.

Club career

Barnsley handed Stones his senior debut in a Championship match against Reading in March 2012, when he was just 17 years old. On 11 August 2012, he made his first senior start and scored his only goal for the club, recording an equalizer during a 4–3 extra-time victory against Rochdale in the League Cup first round. In January 2013, Everton signed Stones on a five-and-a-half-year contract for a reported fee of approximately £3 million. He made his competitive debut for Everton on 28 August 2013, featuring in a League Cup second-round tie against Stevenage. His initial Premier League start followed a few months later on January 1, 2014, in a hard-fought draw away at Stoke City. Stones left Everton after signing a new five-year contract in 2014.

Manchester City

In August 2016, Manchester City signed Stones from Everton for an initial fee of £47.5 million. The transfer made him the world’s second-most expensive defender at the time. His initial years at the club included periods of limited first-team selection, notably during the 2019–20 campaign due to recurring injuries and a temporary loss of form, which coincided with the club-record acquisition of Rúben Dias in 2020. He subsequently re-established his place in the starting lineup, forming a central defensive partnership with Dias, and signed a five-year contract extension in 2021.

Across his ten-season tenure with the club, Stones played 295 matches and scored 19 goals. During this period, he helped Manchester City secure six Premier League titles, three FA Cups, five League Cups, three FA Community Shields, the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup, and the FIFA Club World Cup, which included the club’s continental treble during the 2022–23 campaign.

Inter Milan

Following the expiration of his Manchester City contract at the end of June 2026, Stones joined Inter Milan as a free agent and signed a two-year contract until 2028.

International career

Stones progressed through England’s youth teams from under-19 to under-21 before making his senior debut in 2014. He was selected for England’s UEFA Euro 2016 squad but did not feature during the tournament. At the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, Stones scored twice during a 6–1 group stage victory against Panama, helping the team secure a fourth-place finish.

Stones played every minute of England’s campaign during UEFA Euro 2020, where they finished as runners-up following a penalty shootout defeat to Italy. He subsequently started all five of England’s matches at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where France knocked the team out in the quarter-finals. He then played every minute as England reached a second consecutive European Championship final at Euro 2024, finishing as runners-up once again. He was named in the squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, marking his sixth major international tournament, where he helped England secure the bronze medal following a victory over France in the third-place play-off.

Personal life

Stones has one daughter from a previous relationship with Millie Savage. Subsequently, Stones began a new relationship with Olivia Naylor, and the couple welcomed their first child in January 2023 before officially getting married in July 2025.