Roberto Martinez says Everton defender John Stones has grown as a person as a result of interest from Premier League champions Chelsea.
The 21-year-old England international was the subject of a number of rejected bids from Chelsea during the close-season transfer window as Everton held onto one of their most prized assets.
Stones continues to be linked with a move away from Goodison Park fresh rumours in recent days suggesting interest from Barcelona but Martinez feels the centre-back is now better equipped to deal with speculation over his future.
One hundred per cent, everything that went on in the summer helped John grow as a person and a player, the Everton boss told reporters.
You need to understand the human side of a footballer gets heavily tested in a period like that. You get a lot of influences and some influences were wrong from the outside and they affect you.
We have seen in many dressing rooms how players get affected and disturbed. I think that John from day one had a really good supportive group of people, especially the players in the dressing room and everyone at the football club to help him.
It has been a very important period for his development. Psychologically he has become a man in a very short period of time and a footballer who knows how to cope with high-pressure situations and be able to perform on the pitch.
He is an important player, he is our number five and to be number five at a club like Everton is quite significant at such a young age.
And it s not just the way he is developing as a defender, but the way he is developing as a leader. He s someone who can affect the players around him.
Stones contract at Goodison expires in 2019, having become an established part of Martinez s side since arriving from Barnsley in January 2013.
On the defender s long-term future, Martinez added: We have a really good relationship with John s people because they have got another six players in the first-team squad. It s not an issue.
He is still on a long-term contract and nothing has changed. Any player who performs well in the first team, we are a football club that wants to reward that good work on the pitch and that will never change.
