Manchester City's John Stones wants to repay Pep Guardiola's faith in him

Manchester City defender John Stones has claimed that he goes out onto the pitch in the hope of proving to manager Pep Guardiola that he was right to sign him.

The England international faced criticism last season as he struggled to live up to the £47.5m price tag that City paid Everton in the summer of 2016.

In the current campaign, though, the 23-year-old has looked more solid at the back, helping the team keep six clean sheets in their last seven outings.

When asked how Guardiola helped him, Stones told reporters: "Really good. Always positive and wanting me to do better and that's what I try to repay him on the pitch.

"The games this season speak for themselves: clean sheets both in the Champions League and Premier League. I feel like I'm developing as a player and a person under him.

"That's all down to the players around me, him and the staff that are there. All I want to do is keep this run going and see where it takes us."

City currently sit at the top of the Premier League table on an unbeaten seven-game run.