Campbell: Error-prone Stones too risky for England start

Former England central defender Sol Campbell says John Stones makes too many mistakes to be given a start in the Euro 2016 opener against Russia.

Campbell, who won 71 caps for England and was named in the FIFA Team of the Tournament at the 2002 World Cup, says Roy Hodgson must side with the experience of Chris Smalling and Gary Cahill for the game against the Russians in Marseille.

Campbell says ‘something drastic’ would need to happen this week before he would consider handing a start to the 22-year-old Everton man.

“I personally would go for Smalling and Cahill. I would go for the experience of those two guys,” said Campbell. “For me, something drastic would have to happen for Stones to start. You start with your most solid back four and go from there.”

Stones has divided opinion this season after a big-money move to Chelsea failed to materialise last summer. His willingness to play the ball out of defence got him into trouble at times and eventually led to now departed Toffees manager Roberto Martinez leaving him out of the side.

While Campbell feels that Stones has a bright future ahead of him, he warns that the cut-throat environment of major international tournament football is not the place to learn.

“If you keep making mistakes at international level, you’re going to suffer because one mistake in a tournament and you can be out,” added Campbell. “If you make mistakes at a domestic level, you have more time to learn. He is learning. “He just has to understand there are moments to play the ball and moments to keep hold of the ball. He just needs to find that balance.”

After facing Russia on Saturday, England are also scheduled to meet neighbours Wales on June 16 and Slovakia four days later in their Group B campaign. Campbell says anything less a semi-final appearance will be deemed a failure for manager Roy Hodgson.

England are 3.75 to be knocked out in the quarter-finals while they are 9.00 to win Euro 2016.