HUDSON: JACK’S CHANCES HEADING SOUTH

BY JOHN RICHARDSON

ALAN HUDSON believes Gareth Southgate’s robotic tactics mean Jack Grealish is never likely to shine on the international stage.

The former Chelsea great claims England would have won Euro 2020 if Manchester City’s £100million man had been given more minutes.

Hudson, restricted to just two England caps despite being regarded as one of football’s most natural talents, said: “If Jack Grealish had played in every game, we would have won Euro

2020 with one hand tied behind our back.

“He’s that good, but you don’t get the best out of players by messing them around. Doesn’t the fact that Pep Guardiola paid

£100m for him and plays him every week tell you everything about the situation? The Premier League is a lot tougher to play in than the Euros. “The final against Italy was there to be won. Jack would have murdered them if he had started instead of being on the bench.”

Hudson says

Southgate (left) is frightened to allow a free rein to players like Grealish. “It’s history repeating itself and it’s why the game has become so robotic,” he said.

“Other players have suffered in the past, the so-called mavericks like Frank Worthington. I remember Don Revie, when he was England manager, pulling us all aside one by one – players like Stan Bowles and Tony Currie – and telling us all we weren’t in his plans for the future.

“Managers like Southgate can’t tell someone like Jack Grealish what to do. Some of these modern-day coaches are only happy when they can tell players what to do.

“God knows what Jack was going through watching from the sidelines so often. I used to feel the same.”

Alan Hudson was talking to the Old Spice Boys podcast out on Apple and Spotify and on twitter @theoldspiceboys