Everton latest: Stones praises fellow defenders, midfielder linked with return

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All the latest news, views and transfer rumours from Goodison Park…

With defender Phil Jagielka recently sidelined through injury, it has thrown youngster John Stones into the first team, and the former Barnsley man has performed admirably his absence. With such experienced defenders like Jagielka and Sylvain Distin, Stones has praised the experienced he has around him and has vowed to bounce back from Everton’s FA Cup exit to beat Cardiff City this weekend.

“Game time is key for me and I’m just enjoying every minute of it,” he said in an exclusive interview with evertontv. “To have the likes of Sylvain and Jags backing me up is an extra bonus. Jags is always texting me. Before the Arsenal game he text saying good luck.”

“For me, it’s just about performing on the pitch while I get the chance and grabbing it with both hands, and it’s a big help having that support. It’s not just Jags, all the team have been 100 per cent behind me and I can’t ask for much more. We’re so together in that dressing room and I’m sure we’ll come back fighting and get a good win on Saturday.”

Meanwhile, Fulham midfielder Lewis Holtby has admitted that his dad wants him to play for Everton. Holtby’s father is a staunch Everton fan, and the on loan Spurs man admitted that it’s a dream in his family for him to play for the Toffees.

“My dad wants to see me in the blue of Everton and had a tear in his eye when he saw me play for Spurs against Everton. Although he was happy that in the two times I played Everton his team was not beaten!”, he said.

But whilst manager Roberto Martinez may look to add a midfielder in the summer depending on what happens with the futures of Gareth Barry and Ross Barkley, it may well be former Toffees star Jack Rodwell that makes a return to Goodison Park rather than Holtby arriving.

Rodwell left Merseyside for Manchester City in 2012, sealing a deal that could be worth up too £15m. But injuries and a loss of form have contributed to Rodwell’s failed spell at the Etihad Stadium, and speculation suggests that Everton may look to bring him back to the club in the summer.