The Aston Villa midfielder has ambitions to break into the England national team.
It was a frustrating night in general for Villa, who could couldn’t quite find their way to a crucial Premier League victory.
Given the Hammers went down to ten men and Dean Smith’s side were at home, it could be seen as two points dropped rather than a point gained.
The England boss was in attendance to check on the progress of eligible players for his upcoming international squads, including Grealish, who has yet to win a cap for his country.
Playing for England is a major goal for the Villa man and he was asked after the game about Southgate’s attendance.
As quoted by the BBC (16/09 live match page, 22:08), Grealish said: “That’s my dream, to force my way into the England team.
“He was probably happy with my first-half performance, second half not so much.
“I was so desperate to win, I probably tried to force a few balls.”
How did Grealish perform on the night?
Although he couldn’t inspire his team to a victory, Grealish can be happy overall with his display. As he notes, there were good things for Southgate to take from his performance.
The 24-year-old did his best to push his side on to find a crucial goal, even if the final ball wasn’t quite there.
WhoScored shows he completed three dribbles, made two key passes and had a shot of his own. With 40 accurate passes in total, he was the busiest player in the Villa midfield.
It wasn’t a blow-away performance by any means, but perhaps enough for Southgate to keep him in mind ahead of a busy England schedule. The Three Lions play two matches in October and November.
Grealish’s immediate focus will be on helping his side prepare for a tough trip away to Arsenal this weekend.
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