Rooney: I’d love to have managed and played with Jack
DERBY County boss Wayne Rooney says Aston Villa star Jack Grealish is the type of player he wishes he played alongside and added he would “love to manage” the talented playmaker.
Rooney, who is England’s record scorer, would like to see Grealish face Scotland in Friday’s European Championship clash at Wembley.
Grealish was an unused substitute as England beat Croatia 1-0 in their opening fixture.
“I would have liked to have seen Jack Grealish (feature against Croatia),” Rooney told Sky Sports.
“He’s a player who is going to grow during this competition and he will be an important player for England.
“I can see a couple of changes for the Scotland game. I think Grealish will probably come in and start.
“I think they will be a bit more relaxed on Friday, whereas if they didn’t win (against Croatia) then it would have been more anxious.”
Rooney agreed with most pundits about the quality of Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips.
“I thought Phillips was outstanding,” said Rooney.
“I think he was the best player on the pitch.
“I thought Declan Rice did well. And it’s almost jobs that you don’t see, they were doing well.
“I thought Tyrone Mings did well, coming into the side, first game.
“Everyone really did well but I thought Phillips was the standout player.”
Rooney also talked about Grealish in his column in The Times.
“I’d love to manage Grealish and if I did, I’d encourage him to express himself, to not be afraid of mistakes or giving the ball away, especially in the final third,” he wrote.
“I’d also loved to have played with Jack. I was a player who studied defenders and when Jack takes the ball and draws them out of position, I would have been looking to exploit the spaces they left.”
“He is the closest thing I’ve seen to Gazza (Paul Gascoigne) on a football pitch.
“He has a lot to do to reach Gazza’s levels but his style of play, the way he takes the ball and runs with it in a way that is so awkward to play against, his sheer confidence on the field – it all reminds me of the legend I watched at Everton and then trained with when I joined their first-team squad.
“For England, I think Harry Kane is the most important player but Grealish is the one who is going to light up the tournament. He has to play.
“Just like Gazza, his style is suited to the international game, where moments of inspiration often make the difference.
“If you’re looking for someone to open a team up with a bit of magic, then Grealish is the one.
“He attracts defenders, draws fouls and wins free kicks in dangerous areas. He creates chances and scores goals too.
“Phil Foden is a top player, a footballer who – as you see at Manchester City – will link play up, pass and move and can dribble too.
“But it’s Grealish who commits defenders more, dragging them out of position, which will create space for other players.”