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Roberto Martinez admits the form of John Stones could give him a selection headache in the coming weeks and months.

And the Everton FC boss has tipped his young defender to develop into a “special centre-half” for both club and country.

Stones excelled as the Blues cruised into the fourth round of the FA Cup with victory over Queens Park Rangers on Saturday. Alongside Antolin Alcaraz, the 19-year-old, making just his fourth start for the club, was a confident, assured presence at the heart of defence.

With Phil Jagielka expected to miss at least another two weeks with a hamstring problem, and Sylvain Distin struggling with a similar complaint, Everton are currently without both their first-choice centre-backs.

Martinez, though, says the emergence of Stones means there is now fierce competition for places, with Jagielka and Distin by no means guaranteed an instant return to the starting line-up.

“That is the sort of problem I want as a manager,” said Martinez. “Young John Stones has had to bide his time and now that he has taken the opportunity he doesn’t want to lose his place, and that is what you want.

“I will never have a problem having 22 players for 11 positions. The problem is when it is the other way round, when you have injuries, suspensions and are struggling to put a side out.

“Stones and Alcaraz were magnificent against QPR, and have an incredible understanding after just two games together.”

Martinez knows all about the qualities Stones possesses, having tried to sign him from Barnsley last year whilst manager of Wigan Athletic. And the Catalan believes the youngster is set for a bright future in the game.

He said: “He has a clear understanding of making the right decision when on the ball. He is very conscious about when to play and where the angles are. He has got everything.

“He is a confident boy. He knows that he is quicker, stronger and more athletic than the striker he is marking at any time. John will develop into a special centre-half for England.

“When he was at Barnsley he was developing as a right-back, but with the way we want to play, he will become a top centre-half.

“Slowly we have been playing him in a back three to allow him to understand the concepts of a centre-half but he is now ready to play in a back two and I do feel he has an incredible future in his hands.”

Stones is one of a number of young talents blossoming at Goodison under Martinez, who believes developing from within will be key if the Blues are to continue to challenge the Premier League’s elite.

“It is the only way we can compete against money,” Martinez said. “Developing our own youngsters and getting players a little bit earlier, before they are attracting teams with big budgets.

“It is a way of being creative and not needing the big amounts of money to be able to compete against the top sides.”

Asked if his group were the best set of young players in the Premier League, Martinez said: “I don’t know enough about the other squads to be honest, but Southampton, I must admit, have got a very good group of youngsters.

“I have been working with (academy manager) Alan Irvine for the past six months and he is doing an incredible job.

“I do feel we are going to get more youngsters through and everything set up at Finch Farm is geared towards that. It would be stupid of me not to open that door and developing a path for our youngsters.

“It is something quite special for a group of players to be playing together and enjoying their football in that manner.”