It is straightforward to see why Jack Grealish calls himself a normal child. The Manchester City winger is aware of that he attracts a lot of consideration, a few of it good, some unhealthy, however there was no signal of any ego whereas he held court docket with the media at St George’s Park this week.
“People have so much to say, whether that be on social media or pundits and stuff like that,” Grealish says as he considers whether or not he has needed to develop a thick pores and skin in recent times.
“It is the biggest sport in the world and everyone wants to talk about it, so you just have to go with the flow.”
Go with the circulation: it’s what folks need from Grealish when he steps on the pitch. Few gamers are as enjoyable and there’s certain to be loads of stress on Gareth Southgate to make the previous Aston Villa captain a key a part of England’s assault on the World Cup.
For all the excitement round Grealish there are folks able to query whether or not he deserves a place within the facet. This is a essential interval for the 27-year-old ahead. He was a free spirit at Villa, however from the surface there’s a sense that among the pleasure has been stripped from his recreation since he joined City for £100m final 12 months.
“At Villa I was more free,” Grealish says. “At City, there’s more structure. It was obviously going to change my game a bit.”
Grealish is fast to emphasize he has a good relationship with Pep Guardiola, saying that he has by no means seen anybody with a higher understanding of soccer than City’s supervisor. Yet he is aware of there’s room for enchancment. His first 12 months at City was not simple, despite the fact that he ended it as a league champion, and he was relieved to attain his first objective of this season within the 3-0 win at Wolves final Saturday.
Will that close-range end from Kevin De Bruyne’s cross mark a turning level? Grealish is eager to provide extra within the ultimate third. He was not glad with six targets and 4 assists final season, and he wants a robust exhibiting when England play Italy within the Nations League in Milan on Friday.
Grealish appeared amused after listening to that Graeme Souness has been speaking him down on the radio this week. “I don’t know what his problem is with me,” he says. “He always says stuff about me. I try not to read it. It is difficult when he’s on Sky Sports and it’s everywhere around the training ground at times.
“He was a great player and won a lot but I don’t know what it is with me. I know my ability. I know he used to say stuff about me not moving the ball quicker but when I’m playing for a manager like Pep Guardiola and he’s telling me to keep the ball as much as I can and have the balls to take it everywhere, that’s what I’ll try and do.
“I am very critical of myself. I know that there were games, especially in the second half of last season, where I wasn’t at my best. I came back fit, had a strong pre‑season and then unfortunately got injured in the second game. But I’m just going to try and get that fitness back because I know I’m not 100% yet. But I’ll always have people on the back of me.”
The thoughts drifts again to the protection of Grealish having fun with himself on vacation this summer season. Photographs emerged of him ingesting alcohol, inevitably inflicting folks to query his professionalism. “I’m just a normal kid,” he says. “I feel like I was just doing what a lot of other footballers are doing, but sometimes I get more attention when I’m on holiday in Ibiza or Vegas.
“After that I was putting up photos of me working. I don’t know if a lot of people spoke about that. I tried to come back as fit as possible and I felt like I did. I’ve seen the manager said that a few times about me. I know how professional I actually am.”
It comes with the territory. Grealish accepts England are beneath stress earlier than these video games in opposition to Italy and Germany. They are backside of their Nations League group with two factors from their first 4 video games, although Grealish insists the criticism Southgate endured after England misplaced 4-0 to Hungary in June was extreme.
“It is very harsh, especially as you saw at the World Cup and the Euros how well the team and the manager did,” Grealish says. “But sometimes that’s what you get when you’re English. I’ve had my fair share.”
Grealish rejects the concept Southgate is simply too adverse. He disagrees with solutions that the supervisor is cautious of aptitude gamers. Like Southgate, Grealish is studying to deal with the critics. He listens to the individuals who matter, however he ignores the trolls on social media.
“When I signed for Man City I knew it wasn’t going to all be laughs unless I started the way Erling Haaland did,” he says. “That’s the only way I wouldn’t get caned. I’m not going to sit here and say ‘nothing ever affects me’ because it does sometimes. I’ve had to learn to deal with it.”
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