His comments come on the latest episode of the Official Man City Podcast which will be released on YouTube, mancity.com and our official app at 18:00 (UK) today.
The England international was signed during the Catalan’s first transfer window as Blues boss, with Stones arriving from Everton in the summer of 2016.
Expectations were high for Guardiola’s first season at the Etihad helm, but as City adapted to his distinctive style of play, we finished third in his maiden campaign and without a major trophy.
What followed since, though, has been a trophy-laden nine-and-a-half years which has seen the Blues lift 18 honours – including six Premier Leagues and the 2023 Champions League.
During that time, Stones has become a firm fans’ favourite, and he believes City’s success benefitted from our supporters’ patience during Guardiola’s first season.
“When I first came, there was a new manager, a new style of play. How they dealt with that, in the manner they did, was [with] positivity and getting right behind us,” he explained on the Official Man City Podcast.
“They believed in it and it made everyone believe in it. It’s rare to have that. [You can see] the love everywhere we go around the world, [from] the fans who travel around the world.
“Asking me as a kid in the garden – ‘you’re going to play [for City], fans are going to sing your name, you’re going to have an incredible relationship with them, you’re going to parade a Champions League trophy with them, singing your name, stopping you in the street’.
“I’ve got chills, it’s something you can’t [describe].
“It’s what you dream about, so I’m forever grateful for how they’ve treated me at the Club and I love them for everything I’ve just said and more.
“My dreams have come true and I’m glad I could do it with them as well because their support doesn’t go unnoticed, especially from me.”
With City eyeing more major trophies by the end of 2025/26, we bolstered our squad with the signings of Anotine Semenyo from Bournemouth and Marc Guéhi from Crystal Palace in January.
The latter is particularly familiar to Stones - with the pair playing together on the international stage – which includes their contribution to England’s run to the 2024 Euros final.
And the Blues’ No.5 has no doubts Guéhi will make a sizeable impact during his time at the Club.
He added: “[Marc is] great, he’s such a good guy to be around. Very mature head on his shoulders.
“I’m a big fan of Marc’s, personally, for how he goes about the game. How he goes about his business, the qualities he has.
“We got to a final together [with England] which was another incredible moment for us. For him, how he played throughout that tournament with new feelings and experience for him to be going through games which are cut-throat.
“And to be successful, I’m so proud of how he played and the partnership we had together during those weeks away [at the 2024 Euros] – it was a pleasure.
“He will be an incredible signing for us for however long he’s here.”
