John Stones on meeting Sheikh Mansour in Abu Dhabi

Alam Khan - Reporter 08:30 08/03/2017
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  • John Stones.

    As they push for Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League honours over the next three months, Pep Guardiola’s squad were given a massive lift when Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan dropped in during the club’s recent training camp in Abu Dhabi.

    After buying the club in 2008, the City owner has been to just one game publicly at the Etihad Stadium, when they beat Liverpool 3-0 back in 2010.

    But Stones has seen how the club has been transformed on and off the pitch by his billion pound backing to the extent they are now challenging Barcelona and Real Madrid’s elite standing.

    The England centre-back, a £47.5 million summer signing from Everton, exclusively told Sport360: “It was a great trip to Abu Dhabi and brilliant to meet Sheikh Mansour and spend some time with him at one session. It was also great to get a feeling from him about the club.

    “He introduced himself, we all knew who he was, but the first time meeting him, yeah, it felt a bit nervous.

    “What he’s done, he’s massive for the football club and the players themselves with the backing he gives, like when I first signed.

    “It was great to see him. He said hello and wished me all the best. He had a lot of people to get through and the 30 seconds or whatever he spoke to each of us was precious time.

    “From speaking to him and the chairman [Khaldoon Al Mubarak], the passion they have for the club, that gets driven across to us, and it’s just great. It makes you feel like it’s a family club, makes it more special for us.

    “You can see how Sheikh Mansour wants to make this club great in the long term, definitely. With the players we have got, with the manager, the backroom staff, everyone, we have to aim big and we can be great.

    “We know our talents, our capabilities and the backing from everyone from above is vital. We want to become winners and the feeling is that we can be up there with the best teams like Barcelona and Real Madrid, 100 per cent.”

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