HUGE FEE MEANS NOTHING FOR JACK

WHEN Jack Grealish moved to Manchester City, I sent him six questions to think about.

From one record British transfer signing to another.

Among them were: “Will you play in your preferred position? How much competition do you have? Could a six-week injury see you not get in the team for four months?”

I told him that I never factored in those issues before I signed for Liverpool back in the day. I didn’t play the type of game that landed me that move – the role I had at Nottingham Forest.

What happened at Anfield came as a surprise to me. I wanted to make sure Jack didn’t suffer the same.

I asked him to do his preparation before he put pen to paper. To think about the club, the individuals and all the pluses and minuses.

I didn’t think it through.

Devices

Liverpool wanted me but I had to figure out what they wanted.

Pep Guardiola would have looked at Grealish and thought, ‘I like him. Super player. He would be a good fit for us’. But would he have micro-managed it and worked out where the former Aston Villa man slotted into his grand vision?

I’m not too sure he would have done. As a consequence, new signings get left to their own devices and work it out for themselves.

Phil Foden, Raheem Sterling, and Kevin De Bruyne are all competition for Grealish. He’s not had that before.

He might have to play in three or four positions before he settles.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola wants the best players in the biggest squad. He wants to win trophies.

He’s ruthless. He got rid of Joe Hart within two weeks of arriving at the Etihad. Riyad Mahrez arrived as a record signing. He played 27 times in the Premier League in his first season.

Grealish (below) needs to show he wants to play.

He’s not a key performer in City’s side.

Yet. And no one is going to give up a spot in the side just because the bloke commanded a

£100million fee.

If Jack thinks that offers him some protection, he needs to think again.