Starry-eyed Deano: Jack flies from Pluto! PROBABLE TEAMS

DEAN SMITH doesn’t need telling Jack Grealish is playing football from a different planet.

The Villa boss isn’t in the least bit surprised that his mercurial midfielder is a shooting star in every sense of the word.

Grealish is Villa’s stand-out performer this season, with Gary Lineker saying he’s a “must-start” for the Three Lions and a contender for Footballer of the Year.

And as he prepares for tonight’s clash with West Ham, Smith (with Grealish, above) said: “Jack’s spaceship lands from Pluto every couple of days. Every game you watch him he is at a different level. He’s getting better and better.”

Having Grealish was one of the reasons Smith didn’t move to hijack The Hammers’ £20million deal for his former Brentford star Said Benrahma.

Smith said: “He’s a talented player, that’s for sure. He’s a really good footballer and one we have to be wary of. He’s one we looked at but there aren’t many people who would get in the side ahead of Jack right now.

“We were both fighting for survival going into the last four games of last season. This time it’s a different story and it’s a big game for completely different reasons.”

Meanwhile, Gareth Barry has warned his old club to enjoy Ross Barkley while they can because he may not be staying.

The former Aston Villa midfielder is a big fan of Barkley, having played next to him at Everton. Barkley, 27, moved to Villa Park on loan for the season after failing to nail down a place at Chelsea.

Barry said: “He is definitely a Champions League player, but does he want to go and challenge for that or to stay at a club where he will be a bigger player in the dressing room?

“That question will be coming to Ross at the end of the season.”