Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
VOCAL HERO
Grealish: I love the pressure of being hometown boy and captain..we’re in a battle for survival & I’m desperate to get playing again
JACK GREALISH relishes the pressure of being Aston Villa’s talisman in their Premier League relegation battle.
And the Villa skipper aims to turn on the style like Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne to ensure his hometown team stay up.
Villa are back in action on June 17 when they host Sheffield United, knowing a win would lift them out of the bottom three. Grealish, 24, said: “Being a local lad and captain of the club, I absolutely love it and try to take it in my stride, which I think I have done this season.
“I embrace it. Since they wanted us to get playing again, I was the first back, I was desperate to get playing again.
“We have 10 very important games left and the first will probably be the most important.”
Grealish (right) was on fire before the pandemic shutdown with seven goals and six
League assists this term. The most fouled player in the top flight, a summer target for Manchester United, is confident he can continue where he left off.
There will be no fans in the grounds, but a huge TV audience is expected.
He added: “Everyone will be watching these games when the Premier League returns. I thrive off that. It is going to be so different without fans, it is not the same.
“It will be tough, Villa have got most of our points from home games with the crowd behind us.
“But I have played in reserve and youth games at Villa Park with no fans.” The forward excelled in the Carabao Cup this term, helping Villa reach the final.
But they were beaten by Manchester City at Wembley as De Bruyne helped the holders win 2-1.
Grealish says the Belgium playmaker is an inspiration. “He is unbelievable,” Grealish told Sky. “I try and base my game on him a little, especially when I play as a No.8.
“De Bruyne is definitely the best player in the Premier League and up there with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe.”
Grealish was expected to get his first senior England call-up in March. Now he has more time to impress Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate before next year’s rescheduled Euros.
He said: “I was desperate to get into that England side. Hopefully next time the England games come around I will be in with a shout.”
But the star is walking a tightrope after breaking the lockdown in March.
Grealish has since donated £150,000 to Birmingham Children’s Hospital and raised £55,000 for the NHS by raffling of one of his shirts.
He reflected: “It is something I don’t look back on with pride, but we all make mistakes.”
‘I try to base my game on De Bruyne..he is unbelievable. He’s up there with Ronaldo, Messi and Mbappe’