Former Everton manager David Moyes has backed John Stones to "go on to big things".
Stones was Moyes' last signing as Everton boss when he joined for £3m from Barnsley in 2013, and since then the defender has established himself in the Everton first team and is also a regular at international level.
"This boy's coming on like nobody," Moyes said on Sky Sports ahead of Everton's 2-1 Capital One Cup win over Manchester City on Wednesday evening. "He's coming on with great quality and great ability on the ball. He's playing with really good defenders and that's what's surprising me a bit about Everton.
"Players like Leighton Baines, Phil Jagielka... he's in with some really good players who know how to defend well, but John is different, he's very comfortable on the ball, which gives the side a good starting point
"They like to start games from the back, but John will go on to big things, I've no doubt about that."
The 21-year-old has started 22 of Everton's 24 games this season after being the subject of several failed bids from Chelsea in the summer.
While he has come in for criticism for sometimes overplaying at the back, Moyes said: "He's improved his overall defending, he's got a natural ability to take the ball which is not something that's coached. He's reading the game much better.
"There are one or two occasions when part of being a defender is putting your foot through the ball. He did brilliantly to make himself a bit of space to clear the ball [when] there wasn't a pass on for him [against Tottenham].
"That's John... he'll develop and he's made one or two mistakes which have cost him, but obviously he's going to go on and play for England for a long time."
Moyes was also full of praise for Everton striker Romelu Lukaku, who took his tally to 19 for the season with a goal against City.
"Lukaku's in such good form. There's no club in the Premier League who wouldn't want him the way he's playing," said the Scot.