SOUTHGATE NEEDS TO SOLVE GREALISH DILEMMA... & FAST

NOT even a good kicking was going to stop ‘ Jack the Lad’ from taking the game to the best team in the world.

This was the moment Jack Grealish had been waiting for, his first competitive start for England following a public campaign to get him in the team.

And win, lose or draw, the Aston Villa captain was determined to make the most of it.

He might be the people’s choice, but who cares about that?

Gareth Southgate needs him to be the right choice as he moulds a team capable of conquering Europe next summer.

With no Raheem Sterling g or Marcus Rashford, Southgate hgate kept faith with Grealish

( above) as his Three Lions looked to keep their Nations League dreams alive.

His reward was to see England go 2- 0 down within the opening 25 minutes – and leave Grealish’s fanclub looking like one that needs to be more careful what it wishes for.

Having a starring role in the trouncings of Wales and the Republic of Ireland is one thing, but taking on the No. 1 ranked side in the world in their own backyard is another altogether.

To be fair to Grealish, he looked the most likely to unlock the Belgian defence in an otherwise fruitless and chastising first half for Southgate’s men.

He pulled defenders into areas they did not want to go, created space for others and wanted the ball with the sort of impish confidence that has won him so many admirers of late.

He went close to cancelling out Youri Tielemans’s opener and then saw a powerful shot blocked.

And he continued with his head up in a bid to spark a revival.

He had w woken up to c comparisons w with Paul Gas Gascoigne, which to some will feel a little disrespectful towards one of English football’s greats.

Yet Grealish remains a creative, exciting and different option for Southgate. Someone who – under normal circumstances – puts bums on seats and then lifts them off again with a moment of magic few others can produce.

He gets knocked down but jumps back up again with a smile on his face.

But if Grealish is the answer then what is the question? And can Southgate find the best system to accommodate and exploit the attacking midfielder’s gifts?

It is a conundrum the England boss needs to solve – and fast.