Aston Villa youngster Jack Grealish is starting to show why he’s so highly-rated.
Playmaker Jack Grealish has long been praised for his technical ability, but he’s also been criticised for his application and some off-field issues.
Grealish, 21, has been establishing himself as an important player under Bruce in recent weeks, with an outstanding cameo appearance in the 1-1 draw away at Brighton and Hove Albion catching the eye.
General view before the game – Villa Park
The Championship season is now at the halfway stage, and Aston Villa have recovered after a slow start to the campaign.
Steve Bruce’s arrival as Roberto Di Matteo’s replacement has reinvigorated the club, and one player in particular has thrived since his arrival.
Jack Grealish celebrates scoring for Aston Villa
Since then, Grealish has terrorised Cardiff City with a superb performance, and was Villa’s hero in the 1-0 win over Wigan Athletic, as he curled home an injury-time winner at Villa Park.
Given that Grealish is a boyhood Villa fan and has come up through the ranks at the club, supporters are desperate for the playmaker to succeed, and having committed his future to the club until 2020 with a new contract in September, everything is in place for Grealish to become a Villa star.
The challenge remains the same for him though; find consistency on the pitch, and stay out of trouble off it. If he can do both of those things, there is no reason why Grealish can’t return to the Premier League, hopefully with Villa.
Grealish’s recent form under Bruce makes him Villa’s Young Player of the Year so far, but in truth, there isn’t a great deal of competition; goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini has endured ups and downs, left back Jordan Amavi has been working his way back to fitness, and Bruce has so far resisted the temptation to blood youngsters like Rushian Hepburn-Murphy and Andre Green, making Grealish the obvious choice right now.
Manager’s verdict
“I’m very pleased,” said Bruce to the Birmingham Mail after Grealish’s late winning goal against Wigan Athletic. “He’s one of their own. He’s a Villa supporter so he’s been born and bred here and he’s one of them. Ever since I’ve walked through the door in the last two months people are talking about Jack Grealish,” he added.
Have you been impressed with Grealish’s performance this season?
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