John Stones ya taɓa yin tunani sosai game da barin ƙwallon ƙafa gaba ɗaya — amma ga shi yanzu, an zaɓe shi a cikin 'yan wasa na England don FIFA World Cup, yana shirye don fara gasar a wasan buɗe ido da Croatia ranar Laraba.

Mai tsaron gida na Manchester City mai shekaru 32, ya bayyana a watan Oktoba na bara cewa jerin raunuka sun kai shi gefenranar yi ritaya. Yana magana da BBC Sport kafin gasar, Stones ya bayyana wannan lokacin a matsayin "lokaci mai wahala" kuma ya ce yana fata kada ya sake kaiwa can.

"Na tabbata ina bukatar haƙuri sosai kuma ina alfahari da kaina saboda irin ƙarfin hali da na nuna a duk wannan lokacin kuma na fito daga ɗayan ƙarshen waɗannan yanayi," in ji Stones. "Ina jin cewa ɗaya daga cikin manyan nasarorin da na samu shi ne ci gaba da komawa bayan waɗannan matsaloli, komai girmansu, kuma na kasance cikin mafi kyawun yanayi da kuma wasa a matakin da ya fi kowa."

Kakar wasa tare da ƴan mintoci — amma Tuchel yana da imani

Stones ya sami minti 439 kawai a Premier League a kakar wasa ta ƙarshe, yana bayyana a wasanni 18 a duk gasa tare da Manchester City. Rauni a cinya ya hana shi wasa tsawon watanni biyu, sannan rauni a ƙwarangwal ya hana shi shiga wasannin sada zumunci na England kafin a zabi 'yan wasa. Ya kuma sanar a watan Afrilu cewa zai bar Manchester City wannan rani.

Duk da waɗannan damuwa, manaja Thomas Tuchel ya zaɓi Stones maimakon Harry Maguire da Levi Colwill, yana mai tabbatar da cewa mai tsaron gida ya kasance "babban ɓangare" na shirye-shiryen sa kuma yana da "babban kuɗin imani a banki." Stones ya yi wasa tare da Ezri Konsa na Aston Villa a ƙarshen wasan ƙawance na England kuma ana tsammaninsa zai fi Marc Guehi daraja a hannun Croatia.

Stones ya ce ya kasance "lafiyayye, kusan duk kakar wasan" kuma yana ganin cewa wannan daidaituwa ta jiki ta taimaka masa samun wurinsa a cikin 'yan wasan 26.

'Ya ga yaron da ke cikin na'

Wannan zai zama gasar biyar da shida ta manyan gasar Stones tare da England, wata kungiya da ya taimaka wa isa zuwa wasan daf da na karshe da wasan kwata-fainal a a biyu biyun World Cup da suka gabata. Amma lokacin da kiran Tuchel ya zo, ba al'ada ba ne.

"Lokacin da na sami kiran daga manaja, ina tsammanin ya ga yaron da ke cikin na, yadda na ji — ban iya yin sarrafa kaina ba da gaske," in ji Stones. "Kamar karo na farko ne, farin ciki tsantsa ya fito daga gare ni, kuma ina tsammanin hakan daya ne daga cikin halaye da yake so — yadda dukkan wannan rukuni zai iya kasancewa kanmu a matsayin 'yan wasa."

England ta hadu da Croatia ranar Laraba da karfe 21:00 BST a wasansu na farko na World Cup.