Tim Sherwood suggests Aston Villa star Jack Grealish can still make England squad for World Cup

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Former Aston Villa manager Tim Sherwood has given Jack Grealish a timely boost by suggesting he can still make England’s World Cup squad.

Grealish shot to prominence for Aston Villa as a teenager and his skill and attacking ability saw the Republic of Ireland and England battle it out for his allegiance on the international scene.

England won the day but Grealish’s career has stalled with problems on and off the pitch.

The 22-year-old midfielder has been out for most of the season through a kidney injury picked up in pre-season.

He is on his way back now as Villa look to mount a serious bid for promotion back to the Premier League.

And despite not having made an appearance this season, his old boss Tim Sherwood believes he could still force his way into Gareth Southgate’s squad with the World Cup in Russia looming next summer.

Southgate has been widely praised for blooding a new generation of young players in the England team of late, many of whom don’t feature regularly for their clubs.

And Sherwood told Sky Sports’ The Debate that bodes well for Grealish.

“Where England are missing is probably creativity and to be comfortable handling the football in the centre of the park,” Sherwood told The Debate.

“I think (Adam) Lallana will help with that, I think he’s excellent. But for these young kids coming through who have not yet made an appearance for England they’ll be thinking ‘You know what I haven’t got to do too much (to make the England squad), if I can get into a first team’.

“I use someone who I know is way off the scene at the moment, a guy I coached Jack Grealish. Jack Grealish can handle the football, he knows what it’s like to handle the football,the ball is his friend.

“(You’d think) he’s a millions miles away from that (England team), but perhaps he’s not, perhaps he’s not a millions miles away if he can get himself noticed.”

Villa fans will hope their young prodigy will certainly give Southgate something to think about by returning to the side and helping lead the club back to the big time.

If he does that then Grealish is in a unique position given his talent on the ball and with Southgate seemingly looking beyond players of a similar ilk Jack Wilshere and Ross Barkley.