England star reveals impact of Manchester City pair ahead of crunch last-16 Euro clash | OneFootball

Manchester City pair John Stones and Kyle Walker have been hailed by England teammate Marc Guehi.

The Crystal Palace defender has partnered John Stones in defence for England’s opening three matches at the European Championship in Germany, with the Three Lions having reached the last-16 of the tournament despite registering only one win.

Gareth Southgate’s side will face Slovakia at the Veltins-Arena in Gelsenkirchen on Sunday, and have been handed a fortunate path to a second consecutive European Championship final, after topping Group C.

England beat Serbia 1-0 in their opening game, but have stumbled to back-to-back draws since against Denmark and Slovenia, with Southgate and his squad subject to fierce criticism after a series of underwhelming performances.

The Three Lions will face either Switzerland or Italy in the quarter-finals, should Southgate’s side beat Slovakia this weekend, with England having been boosted by the return of Phil Foden to the squad.

Foden left the England camp to return to the United Kingdom for the birth of his baby earlier this week, but has since flown back to Germany ahead of the last-16 clash on Sunday afternoon.

Manchester City’s other two representatives Kyle Walker and John Stones have become mainstay’s for Southgate’s side, and the pair have been hailed by fellow defender Marc Guehi.

Speaking about Stones, the 23-year-old said: “I can’t speak highly enough of him. He is an absolute dream to play with. I am just following in his footsteps.

“Just seeing those two [John Stones and Harry Maguire] play at the highest level consistently and never letting their country down has paved the way for me.”

Guehi also praised vice-captain Walker, saying: “Top, unbelievable player. His tenacity and leadership shows in tough moments. His pace definitely helps a lot in any situation. His reading of the game is fantastic but he’s not just a one-trick pony, he reads the game so well too.”

The Manchester City defensive duo are both expected to retain their places for the knockout match against Slovakia, despite Southgate being expected to make a number of changes for the fixture.