Jack’s no flop and will show he’s Greal deal
Pep: £100m ace will prove worth again
Pep Guardiola insists Jack Grealish is no £100million flop.
The midfielder scored three goals and produced just three assists in his first season with Manchester City following his arrival from Aston Villa last summer.
He also struggled to hold down a regular place but City boss Guardiola believes Grealish can point to his title medal to show he is still value for money.
The Spaniard said: “The most important thing you need to know about Jack is that he came here to help us to win the Premier League – and he did it.
“We had two other chances to get to finals and we were close but unlucky.
“Jack is incredibly loved in the locker room. He’s so humble and people like him.”
But Guardiola admits that won’t stop him demanding more from the midfielder this season – and reckons he will get it with the World Cup in Qatar approaching.
He added: “Of course I want more – not just from Jack but from everyone – and he will have to fight.
“At the end of the day everybody knows – Jack and every player – that the better you play, the more chance you have to play more minutes.
“And we are optimistic because he has arrived here well and knows he has the World Cup around the corner.”
West Ham star Jarrod Bowen launches his bid to reduce his family to tears again when he lines up against City.
The forward is desperate to be part England’s World Cup squad in Qatar.
But he revealed winning his first cap last season left his family so overcome that most burst into tears and dad Sam was almost speechless.
Bowen said: “Everyone just started crying and my dad wouldn’t speak to me because every time he picked the phone up, I said, ‘Hello, you all right?’ and he said, ‘ No.’
“I had to ring him about f ive times because I could just tell he was in bits. When I saw him later, he was crying his eyes out.
“I don’t know how he’d be if I go to the World Cup, that would be another one again, so the next three or four months are massive.”