Roberto Martinez has continued to heap praise on John Stones.
Martinez: “It’s fair to say John is going from strength to strength. Every opportunity he has to face a challenge, he faces it straight on and becomes a better player at the end of it.
“I was really pleased in the manner that the fans reacted towards John.
“In the dressing room and at the football club, he has always had tremendous support. John as an individual has benefited from a difficult period with a lot of pressure. He’s been able to find a way to perform on the pitch no matter what was going on around him.
“He always performed in the best possible way for Everton and that’s going to help him for the rest of his career. If he can get through that, he can get through anything really. The support of the players has been key towards it and maybe it has made the group stronger.”