Aston Villa have brought in Bjorn Engels as part of a big recruitment drive this summer.
Grealish wears the captain’s armband for Villa now, and he was quick to sit down with Engels, after his move to the Midlands.
Engels says that Grealish made him feel very welcome at Villa Park, and he has appreciated the advice he’s got him from the playmaker and assistant manager John Terry so far.
“It has been easy to settle in, the new players have been made very welcome by Jack Grealish, Conor Hourihane, the leaders of the team,” he said.
“They tell you how important it is to play for Villa. And [Chelsea legend and now Villa assistant] John Terry has had a few words, telling me to enjoy it and a few tactical tips. It is great to work with him, he is a legend and I always looked up to him.”
Engels has made a solid start at Villa since signing, and impressed over pre-season so far.
The centre-back does face a lot of competition to earn his spot in Smith’s starting line-up though.
Villa have brought in four new centre-backs this summer, with Ezri Konsa, Kortney Hause and Tyrone Mings all arriving alongside Engels.
Villa’s Premier League campaign gets underway in two weekends’ time when they take on Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane.
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