England v Slovakia: John Stones tells Sam Allardyce he’s the man do do the dirty work

JOHN STONES insists he is the man to do Big Sam’s dirty work.

Manchester City’s new £47.5million man is renowned as a ball-playing centre-half — but   says he wants to be judged on his defending.

Sam Allardyce is set to start him in England’s World Cup qualifier in Slovakia tomorrow.

Stones said: “I’ve always been a ball player but, at the end of the day, I’m a defender — that’s what I want to be known as.

“I get the blocks and headers in which people don’t recognise that I do. It’s the dirty stuff every defender should do and should be good at.

“That’s what I’m trying to do and the rest of it is an added bonus, where I can play out and start attacks off.”

Stones, 22, hopes to thrive at City after joining from Everton this summer in a record transfer for an English defender.

But he admitted: “I’m still learning. I’ve always been a ball player and I would like to carry on doing that.

“I do make mistakes, but I just want to keep improving under Pep Guardiola and get more games under my belt.

“That’s why I moved to City and, in my eyes, the best manager to work with in football.