BURTON-ON-TRENT -- John Stones sees no reason England cannot play like Premier League front-runners Manchester City but says results are more important than style for the national team.
Stones played in heart of City's defence for Saturday's landmark 1-0 win at Chelsea, which was notable for the unusual tactics used by Pep Guardiola.
The City boss asked his full-backs to push into the middle, allowing his creative players to exploit space on the flanks, and City completely dominated against Antonio Conte's back-three and won through Kevin De Bruyne's goal.
England boss Gareth Southgate has previously borrowed successful tactics from the Premier League -- switching to a back-three after it was popularised by Conte last season -- and Stones sees no reason why England cannot replicate City's brave approach.
"We've got the players to do it," the centre-back said. "It's difficult to bring how you play in the Premier League into international football -- it's so different -- but we're always striving to become better and there's a lot of likeness between how City play and international football. Or to how Tottenham play. But to gel all those things is very difficult."
Raheem Sterling has urged England to find an "identity" in time for next summer's World Cup in Russia but also said that winning is all that matters. Stones echoed those sentiments, admitting that football is "evolving" and "changing", but adding: "As long as England win and keep clean sheets and keep bettering ourselves every year and making the nation proud, that's all that matters."
Stones' form was patchy in his maiden season at City but, like the rest of Guardiola's team, he is finding a rhythm this term, and believes the win at Stamford Bridge was one of the best performances of his career.
"I think I've always been moving in the right direction," he said. "Everyone has their ups and downs. We've started this season well as a team at club level. It was an important match against Chelsea to keep the run going and keep another clean sheet. Defensively, on a personal note, it was maybe one of the best games I've played in.
"I'm enjoying my football. Just trying to keep improving day in, day out, mentally, physically, tactically, on the training pitch. The hunger to keep improving and keep getting to more targets in my game is driving me to become better.
"Keeping clean sheets has spoken for itself over the last five or six games. I'm enjoying my football. Any player that's had a dip would say the best bit's when you're enjoying it and winning always helps as well.
"Pep has been really good. Always positive and wanting me to do better and that's what I try to repay him on the pitch. I feel like I'm developing as a player and a person under him."
After the match, Guardiola cheekily described Tottenham as 'the Harry Kane team' after the striker scored 11 goals in five appearances in September and asked if England might end up with a similar reliance on the forward, Stones said: "I think if you asked Harry that question, he'd say that he wouldn't want it to be like that because that's the type of guy he is.
"He's a team player and he knows everyone's jobs. He knows what he can bring to the team and he's a massive part of it. He'd want it to be known as an England team that played great football and were winners with whoever was in the team.
"Personally I don't think it matters who scores as long as the ball goes over the line. If Harry scores a hat trick and we win, he's selfless. He's not a selfish guy. He'll make sure that we win and know that we've all done our jobs. That's the type of guy he is."