The little pirate who became Villa’s Roy of the Rovers
star who can dazzle in the FA Cup final
maturity but he carried it off. Certain individuals didn’t like a 17, 18year-old being the best player so he took a lot of hits in training. But he kept getting up. It helped him.
‘ I remember a game away to Stevenage, and he must have taken six tackles in the first 20 minutes which could have been yellow cards. They thought stopping Jack would stop the team. He came off injured after 38 minutes. Afterwards I said: “You have to change your game a little bit, play two touches rather than drift, so people can’t kick you”.’
Grealish got smarter and tougher. Sometimes, however, he was at risk of tripping himself up. ‘He used to come on the training pitch and wouldn’t tie his shoelaces,’ Derry recalls with a chuckle. ‘His laces would be flapping around. Every day I would tell him. Five or six months later, cracked it.’
His first senior goal came at the end of another brutal match, a 3-1 win against Gillingham in December 2013. He collected the ball from a corner, glided past four opponents, and finished unerringly. He ran to his dad for a hug, receiving a booking, then embraced Derry and pointed upwards, thinking of Keelan.
Grealish signed a new four-year deal in October and received a surprise letter of congratulations from Peter Beardsley. The Newcastle Under 21s coach had seen Grealish stand out in the post-season Hong Kong Sevens tournament. Matt Le Tissier passed along a personal message too. Grealish was in awe.
This season has not been straightforward. Paul Lambert recognised his talent but as the relegation zone neared turned to experience. Tim Sherwood looked at the situation differently and threw him in against QPR on April 7 for his first league start. They drew 3-3.
The landscape changed after his wonderful display against Liverpool last month. The publication of a year- old picture showing his poor choice to inhale nitrous oxide testified to that.
Grealish is under the Premier League microscope now and Kevin this week handed his son the Mail on Sunday’s interview with Frank Lampard from a fortnight ago. Lampard offered advice to all young footballers on fulfilling potential. A strong family unit provides Grealish with the support he needs. He took his sisters on to the Villa Park pitch for the team’s lap of appreciation after their last league game of the season, against Burnley. Hollie has cerebral palsy having been born three months early. She came close to dying as a baby. They are tight.
Karen and the two girls had a caravan holiday to St Ives this week, as the boys stayed behind to soak up whatever football they could.
They watched Gary Lineker’s programme looking at the FA Cup where he questions whether the lustre remains. Grealish hopes to provide his answer on the pitch.