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Roberto Martinez says the performances of teenage defender John Stones have been “phenomenal” this season.

And the Everton boss has told the Goodison Park faithful: “We have a special player on our hands.”

Stones produced another solid display in the weekend’s 3-2 win over Swansea City and Martinez has been mighty impressed by the 19-year-old’s development since he made his first-team breakthrough last summer.

The £3m signing from Barnsley has made 18 appearances for the Blues this season and started the last five matches in place of the injured Phil Jagielka.

Everton’s captain has recovered from his hamstring complaint and is in contention for tonight’s trip to Newcastle United but Martinez will have no problem asking his young understudy Stones to fill in once again.

Swansea City head coach Garry Monk has questioned former manager Michael Laudrup's decision to hold a press conference to discuss his exit.

The Dane, who was replaced by Monk earlier this month, met with journalists on Tuesday and spoke at length about the sequence of events that led to his departure.

However, when pushed for details, Laudrup held back citing legal reasons, and Monk believes there was "no real point" in the press call.

"I have seen bits and bobs of what was said, and basically what I took from it was that he couldn't answer most of the questions for legal reasons, so there was no real point in having it," he said.

"If you call a press conference like that, you should be able to say what you want to say.

"It's not my problem, it's between the club and the chairman and the solicitors as it is apparently.

"It was strange as I have never seen a manager lose his job and then two weeks later have a press conference about it but if that's what you choose to do, you choose to do (it).

"It's nothing to do with us. We have to move on."

Swansea take on Napoli in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League round-of-32 tie on Thursday.

Swansea City head coach Garry Monk has questioned former manager Michael Laudrup's decision to hold a press conference to discuss his exit.

The Dane, who was replaced by Monk earlier this month, met with journalists on Tuesday and spoke at length about the sequence of events that led to his departure.

However, when pushed for details, Laudrup held back citing legal reasons, and Monk believes there was "no real point" in the press call.

"I have seen bits and bobs of what was said, and basically what I took from it was that he couldn't answer most of the questions for legal reasons, so there was no real point in having it," he said.

"If you call a press conference like that, you should be able to say what you want to say.

"It's not my problem, it's between the club and the chairman and the solicitors as it is apparently.

"It was strange as I have never seen a manager lose his job and then two weeks later have a press conference about it but if that's what you choose to do, you choose to do (it).

"It's nothing to do with us. We have to move on."

Swansea take on Napoli in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League round-of-32 tie on Thursday.