Gerard Pique names his World XI - and includes Everton centre-back John Stones

Spanish international picks a very Barcelona-centric team, of course

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Barcelona defender Gerard Pique has named his current World XI.

Ten of the 11 players he has selected for the side are pretty obvious, but there is one completely left-field selection in a team that has six current Barcelona stars and two more Spaniards.

Neymar, Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi are the obvious front three, while Pique rightly picks himself.

But the Englishman is a definite surprise and the World Cup winner is high in his praise.

Scroll through the gallery to see the team:

"I think John Stones is a really, really, good player," Pique told the Daily Telegraph. "He will have a good career. He’s like Rio [Ferdinand], a bit.

"Now the position of the centre-back is not just about defending or being nasty or tough.

“It’s about knowing how to play football, control the ball, pass and be more comfortable in possession. And this is something that 10 years ago [in England] they didn’t understand. Rio was the first one who did it.

“And now there is Stones, he’s one of the new generation who understand football not just as a defender."

Pique's Spain face England on Friday night.