Former Everton captain Phil Neville has accused critics of John Stones of "trying to destroy" the young English defender.
Stones, a rumoured £45m transfer target for Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea, has been criticised in the past for attempting to 'overplay' his way out of trouble.
Neville, who departed Goodison Park the year the England international arrived from Barnsley, expects his compatriot to push on and use the negative comments to propel himself to the very top of the game.
"He has been heavily criticised and a lot of it has been absolutely scandalous and personal - it's as if we are trying to destroy the kid," he told The Mirror. "He's been criticised for overplaying, but that's rubbish - for me, if he stops taking the ball, that's when I would be criticising John Stones.
"Some of the criticism he's had has been scandalous from ex-players, who didn't have half the ability he had. I'm talking about players that couldn't pass the ball or control it in tight spots where you have to have composure.
"They say you should defend, first and foremost. But Stones can defend and he can also play football. This kid is going to go right to the very top and instead of killing him we need to back him. He is a talent that really excites me."
Stones made 42 appearances for Everton in all competition last season, while also featuring five times for England - including in two of the three Euro 2016 warm-up fixtures.
