Aston Villa star Jack Grealish continues to flourish under the current regime at the club.
Aston Villa midfielder Jack Grealish is finally starting to showcase some of his potential, after years of fans describing him as a flop.
The 22-year-old’s career has always been a rollercoaster ride courtesy of on and off the pitch issues, but now, Grealish seems to have the right mentality as he attempts to guide Villa back into the Premier League. As he revealed during an interview with The Telegraph, his relationship with current boss Steve Bruce also helps in that regard.
“I’ve also had eight managers in four years, if you include [England under-21s head coach] Aidy Boothroyd and Shaun Derry during my loan at Notts County,” Grealish told The Telegraph.
“That’s ridiculous really. It’s not an excuse but it does affect you. I think only three managers have trusted me, [Tim] Sherwood, [Roberto] Di Matteo and Bruce.
“It’s been my best season and I’ve been the most consistent. People think I’m a No.10 but my favourite position is playing on the left of a three.”
From an outsider’s perspective, it seems as if the Englishman has the kind of drive that transcends wins or losses. It does not matter whether Villa are 3-0 up or 4-0 down because Grealish always looks like someone who is battling for every ball and will refuse to give up on an opportunity over the course of 90 minutes. In that regard, among others, his work draws comparisons to Jack Wilshere.
The most important thing of all, though, is that he is in a healthy environment for once. The atmosphere around Villa Park had been toxic prior to Steve Bruce’s arrival, courtesy of ownership issues and managerial problems, but under the guidance of the veteran manager, as well as Chelsea legend John Terry, he has been able to re-focus and it is starting to show on the pitch.
When he is made the focal point of the side everything works around him, and you can see how much intelligence he has beyond his age. It can be difficult to remember that these youngsters are still in the early stages of their careers despite being around since they were teenagers and as such, fans and media members alike need to give them time to grow.
In the present climate, the sky really is the limit for Jack Grealish both domestically and internationally.
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