Southgate hints at Stones role

ENGLAND manager Gareth Southgate is pondering a positional switch for John Stones and could ask the country's most expensive defender to try a holding midfield role against France tonight.

Southgate confirmed Harry Kane would retain the captaincy for the season-ending friendly and promised goalkeepers Tom Heaton and Jack Butland 45 minutes each in place of Joe Hart - while also announcing the latter was still his 'number one'.

But it was his revelation that Stones, Manchester City's £50m centre-half, was being considered in unfamiliar territory that piqued most interest.

Stones was edged out of the team that drew 2-2 with Scotland on Saturday by Chris Smalling and Gary Cahill, but Southgate feels he has the requisite ball-playing skills to operate further up the pitch and may hand the 23-year-old a first opportunity to test drive the anchor role at Stade de France.

That is by no means guaranteed, with a back three also considered, but is seen as a live option in a squad that looks light in the engine room, where Eric Dier and Jake Livermore are the only specialists in a 23-man squad.

"Do I believe he can play that role? Absolutely," said Southgate.

"I think he could comfortably do that.

"We had a look at that in training in fact.

"He's a player who is very comfortable receiving possession, he has all the attributes to play as a holding midfield player.

"He obviously hasn't done that yet really, so that's a decision we have to make."

Southgate knows more than most about the demands of moving between two positions, starting his career in the centre of the park before making his name as a centre-half.

Hart will definitely be moved to an unfamiliar position at the Stade de France - in the stands.

His inability to keep out two Leigh Griffiths free-kicks at Hampden Park attracted plenty of debate and two of his challengers for the gloves will now get a chance to showcase their credentials.