Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
‘Grealish gives us a big shout’
SHAUN DERRY can still recall the day Stevenage players took it in turns to hack down Notts County’s talented 18-year-old midfield inspiration.
He might not have sported the now trademark Peaky Blinders haircut, but Jack Grealish, who had arrived on loan from Aston Villa, still stood out with his precocious skills.
Derry (right) was the County manager at the time, battling against relegation from League One, and the raw teenager was his talisman.
“He was the absolute stand-out individual, who everyone looked up to him even at such a young age. He was the shining light, someone we hoped could lead us out of trouble,” said Derry.
“I knew I could rely on him. You could put a bit more pressure on him to take control on the pitch. Jack thrived with that extra responsibility.
“But he always had to stand up to a physical battering at times as opposition players quickly made him a target. I remember one game away at Stevenage. Graham Westley was the manager and their players took it in turns to stop Jack in whatever way they could. They shared the load, taking it in turns to try and bring him down. I think these days it’s called ‘tactical fouling’.
“That game was certainly a massive lesson for him.”
Fast forward seven years and very little has changed – Grealish is the most fouled player in the Premier League as Villa’s go-to star.
Derry, now at Crystal Palace as a development coach, just feels fortunate to have played a part in Grealish’s progress – one which he hopes will propel the 24-year-old into Gareth Southgate’s England squad for this summer’s European Championship.
“He is so easy on the eye,” added Derry. “Paul Gascoigne was one of my heroes when I was growing up as a young player and I look at Jack and he has so many of Gazza’s attributes. It’s the closest to Gazza that I can ever remember.
“When Gazza was playing – up to when he went to Lazio – he was fantastic and Jack has some of those traits.
“We’ve been crying out for a Paul Gascoigne for many years and now I believe we’ve got one. He’s ready for England, in my view.
“I would love to see Jack in the European Championship. He definitely offers something a bit different.”
If he does become part of Euro 2020, it will be a far cry from football’s third tier.
Derry added:“I was privileged not just to have met Jack, but to have been introduced to his family as well. His dad Kevin has been a fantastic role model for Jack. “Of course, there are times when a lad who has only just turned 18 has to be reminded of things. That didn’t just come from me, it came from his family as well.
“They are a fantastic family. We knew we wouldn’t be able to keep him beyond the end of the season, because he was ready to make his mark with Villa.
“He scored a goal at home against
Manchester City’s Fernandinho is the only Premier League player with more ball carries (463) than Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish (439) in the division this season
Gillingham which was beyond what an 18-year-old should be achieving. It was a stunning individual goal.
“You knew he was just dipping his toes in the level we were at with Notts County. He went back to Villa and quickly became their star man.”
Now he prepares to face Premier League champions Manchester City feted with outstanding statistics.
For instance, no one has carried the ball further so far this season and created more chances than Grealish. Derry isn’t surprised.
“He is a player who has different attributes to many other creative players. He has a cutting edge. Aston Villa is a massive football club, but, if he wanted to, he could go on and play for a top-four team,” added Derry.
“I can still remember being captivated when seeing him for the first time in a training session. There was him and Callum McGregor, just 20 at the time, who we’d taken on loan from Celtic.
“Here was me, a first-time manager with a relegation fight on our hands, and I’m pinning my hopes on these two kids – one of them especially, 18-year-old Jack.
“He never let you down – and it’s exactly the same now at Aston Villa.”