JACK STEPS ON THE GAZ
MAKE A SPLASH: Gazza’s famous celebration after scoring against Scotland at Euro ’ 96 and fellow England icon Rooney
BEING compared to Paul Gascoigne would scare the life out of most players – and who could blame them?
Midfield genius Gazza is regarded as one of the greatest and most flamboyant stars ever to have graced an England shirt.
The man Sir Bobby Robson once labelled “daft as a brush” lit up the English game in the 1990s with his enigmatic gifts from the footballing gods – and no- one has come close to replacing him since Gazza departed the international scene in 1998.
But don’t tell that to Jack Grealish.
The Aston Villa maverick, 25, is now earning comparisons to the Three Lions legend after a string of swashbuckling performances for club and country.
You have to be special to get likened to the lovable Geordie, but instead of deflecting the compliments or treating them as a burden, Grealish is relishing the prospect of trying to emulate someone he admits is a sporting icon.
He said: “Do you know what? I don’t really see myself as him, but I would love to be like him, the way that he played football.
“He played with such… I don’t know what the right word is, but he played football with such joy.
“I think everyone who watched him could see that. That is what I want to do. One of the biggest compliments for people to say to you is that you make them happy watching football.
“I’d love to get compared to Gazza. I think he is an absolute icon. He, along with Wayne Rooney, was probably one of the England players over the last 30 years.
“There has been a load of them, but if they were the top two, Gazza would be my first.”
Grealish certainly made England fans happy greatest with his impressive performance in the 3- 0 win over Wales at Wembley on Thursday night on his full debut.
The attacking midfielder bamboozled the Welsh from start to finish and Grealish wants to be centre stage on the biggest ones of all for years to come, now he is fulfilling his childhood dream after flirting with the Republic of Ireland at Under- 17 level.
Grealish, who once fainted from nerves before an England trial at the age of 15, said: “I was just a young lad, going to meet up with all the best players from England, around the country, and it was a big difference from what I was used to.
“I woke up in the middle of the night, I went to go to the toilet and then my room- mate, who was Diego Poyet, Gus Poyet’s son, heard a bang and then I just woke up in the bathroom. I had obviously collapsed.
“I didn’t want to go home the following day but England said they thought it was best that I did.
“I always wanted to play for England and I’m so grateful and thankful to Gareth Southgate for making it happen.
“I want to be in the squad now for the next, however long – five, six years – and I want to have a long England career and get many caps. I want to cement my place.”
Like Gazza once did, Grealish admits he relies more on natural talent than being obsessed with what he eats and drinks.
He added: “I have got a lot of confidence about me on and off the pitch.
“I eat healthy but I am not one of these players who does a lot of stuff off the pitch.
“I’m just normal. I go with the flow. I do this every single day for a living.”