Stepping Stones for former Barnsley defender

The Barnsley-born right-back made his debut at Bramall Lane as Roy Hodgson’s boys romped to a 6-0 triumph over their arch enemy from north of the border.

Stones, 19, was a member of the Under-20s team that, like their counterparts in the year group above, flopped in a major tournament in the summer.

But any negative vibes left over from those twin failures were swatted aside emphatically as England humiliated Scotland in front of nearly 27,000 fans at Bramall Lane.

Stones, who left Barnsley for Everton in a £3m deal in January, said: “I was down for a few days, up to a week, after the summer.

“We realised how big the occasion was and how good a team we had but we just didn’t produce. So coming here and bringing a few lads with me to the 21s has been promising.

“We can see the potential we’ve got – the game on Tuesday showed that.

“We needed to move on after the summer. I’m sure we will do well in the next competition.”

Stones produced a rampaging display down the right flank in support of a very fluid England performance, spearheaded by Jonjo Shelvey, Nathan Redmond and Raheem Sterling.

Together with an impressive pre-season at Everton, which included a cheeky Antonin Panenka penalty chip in a friendly in the United States, Stones hopes it leads to a sustained spell with the Under-21s, and in Roberto Martinez’s team.

Stones said: “I’d love to hit the ground running with the first game of the Premier League and get an appearance at least, and then hopefully progress from there. I’d like to think I’m in Roberto’s plans.

“As for my Under-21s debut, brilliant is the only way I can describe it. It was an experience to remember.

“There was a big crowd and it’s so close to home. I had a lot of family and friends who were watching, so I had a lot of support.

“Seeing some of the big names in training this week has been like a dream.

“I’ve still got a long way to go. It’s my first game and I’ve got a lot of games to play to prove myself yet. Hopefully I’ll get those chances to play again.”

Hodgson reserved special praise for the Yorkshire public who backed the fixture in their thousands. He said: “I’d really like to congratulate the people of Sheffield, it’s incredible to get 27,000 fans to an Under-21s game. It’s a great credit to Sheffield and the Football Association.”