The Villa captain’s return to action has proven a catalyst for the club’s surge up the Championship table.
Aston Villa manager Dean Smith has admitted that he has been left surprised by Jack Grealish’s maturity at Villa Park, his comments suggesting that he may have thought otherwise before becoming manager of the Championship club.
Grealish is a firm fan favourite at Villa Park and his return to action at the start following a shin injury was the catalyst for a superb five-match winning run which had elevated a side previously labouring in the division right up into the playoffs.
Despite his relatively young age, the 23-year-old has already been given the captain’s armband and, given how well the Villans are doing at the minute under his watch as skipper, it doesn’t look as though it could be changed any time soon.
A few years ago, Grealish found himself in the media spotlight on several occasions for off-the-pitch matters, such as the reports of a nightclub visit after a heavy defeat in 2015, which led to then manager Remi Garde dropping him from the first team and saying “Jack needs to be more disciplined” (BBC Sport).
All this is firmly in the past and, even though Smith said his perception of him may have been different before joining the Villans, he sung his praises in the pre-match conference ahead of the trip to Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday.
“Jack Grealish looks and appeared to be a lot more mature than what my perception of him was from the outside of the club,” Smith told the Birmingham Mail. “He’s certainly took on the responsibility of being the leader of the group really well. His performances have shown that. Off the pitch, he looks like he enjoys that leadership responsibility.
“He’s become a more rounded individual. He’s very respectful of everybody anyway. He likes looking after the players, whether it is getting tickets for them or getting the players on time. He’s doing really well in the job right now.”
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
