‘He’s Greal Gazza heir’
LEE CLARK knows all about the pressure of being called ‘the new Gazza’.
The Geordie midfielder, who followed Paul Gascoigne into the Newcastle side in the 90s, admits at times it was hard to live up to the lofty predictions.
Although he was an integral part of Kevin Keegan’s side which took the Premier League by storm and just missed out on the title, he says being ‘the new Gazza’ was a step too far.
“I think I was compared to Gazza when I first came into the side because, like him, I was a local lad and played in the same position,” said Clark. “But I was never at his level, he was the most outstanding player of his generation.”
But, after witnessing Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish at close quarters in recent England games, he has no doubt that the Brummie is Gascoigne’s heir apparent.
“I’ve always liked Jack Grealish, but at first I thought, ‘No it’s the wrong comparison’,” said Clark.
“But having watched the last few England games, I have changed my mind. He seems to thrive on pressure.
“It looks to me that he can handle all the hype that goes with it. Some can’t. They fold, they buckle. He loves people talking about him, he responds to it.
“To be fair, he is handling the spotlight
better than Gazza did on occasions. Jack is the most fouled player in the Premier League and what that tells me about him is that he is tough and he’s brave.
“He’s not frightened of people dumping him on the floor. He’s got courage and bravery in a physical sense, but he’s tough mentally too.
“He tries to be inventive, he’s always trying to make or score a goal, to do something a little different in the final third. As I said, I wasn’t convinced at first, but I’ve got to say I believe he can be our go-to, our special player for England.”
Clark was an apprentice at St James’ Park when Gazza was making a name for himself on the pitch. “What a player,” said Clark. “He dominated the 1990 World Cup finals and carried Tottenham to the 1991 FA Cup Final.
“If it hadn’t have been for the injury he suffered in that final, he would have gone on to be the best player in the world.”
Now the stage has been set for Villa skipper Grealish to dominate at club and international level. “To be labelled the new Gazza can lift you, but also it can be a burden,” added Clark.
“It’s why I have so much admiration for Grealish because he has taken on the mantle and it hasn’t been a heavy weight.
“I’m certain Gazza enjoys watching him because he is always capable of producing the unexpected. He doesn’t lose confidence if something doesn’t come off.
“He always has incredible self-belief.”