STOPPING JACK ... THAT’S HARD
Robinson says pal is on ‘another level’
JACK GREALISH can be tamed – as long as West Brom do not fall into the same trap as his former Aston Villa team-mate Callum Robinson.
Baggies frontman Robinson came through the ranks at Villa Park alongside Grealish and the pair remain the closest of friends.
That will be placed on hold as they meet in today’s derby clash at The Hawthorns – and Robinson knows that Villa’s 25-year-old talisman is the visitors’ biggest threat.
And he has warned team-mates that the worst mistake they can make against Grealish this evening is diving in to try and win the ball.
He said: “With Jack, there aren’t many options – try clumping him and he’ll get about 15 free-kicks in the game.
“And don’t do what I did for all those years as a kid at Villa – jump in and gamble. If you do that, he just strides straight past you.
“He’s got a lot in his game. We’ll be trying to find a way to stop him – obviously, that’s difficult against the top players.
“But we’ve done well against Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min, and a few of the Chelsea lads are top-drawer, and they didn’t have too much joy against us.
“However, Jack’s on another level at the moment and just doing what he wants.
“I saw some clips of him playing against Leicester on social media. It was like he was playing school football in the playground and having fun.
“He’s been doing this from the age of 14, 15,
16 – and he’s been doing it with any age group you put him in.
“When he was 14 and in the Under-16s or 16 and playing in the reserves, he kept it at exactly the same level.
He’s a natural – it doesn’t matter who he is playing against.
“I was so happy he got into the England team
BEST MATES Jack Grealish and Callum Robinson have grown up together
– finally. He should have been in it a have thought seven or eight would ould long time ago, as everyone knows. have gone on to make a good career, reer, He’s got his chance – and he took it.” but there aren’t too many who have. ve.
Robinson ( below) describes “Even that Chelsea team, it’s s Grealish as “his best friend” and says unbelievable that only a few they chat every day. made it through. It just shows
They nearly came face- to- face how hard it is to make it at the during the international break, but top level and stay there. the Baggies man was overcoming a “You’ve got to be strong battle with Covid. mentally and stay grounded, ,
“We’ll have a little something on it,” because there will always be annsaid Robinson, “I’m sure something other player wanting to fill your our will come up in the group chat. shoes.
“When the England v “There were the likes of Jordan Ireland game was announced, Graham and Dan Crowley, who went he messaged me to say, ‘Let’s to Arsenal. go, bro...’ and we’ll have a “There were more talented players drink on it – he knows how than me, but I stuck to what I was much I like a skinny latte.” good at, ran about and grafted.
The bond between the “But Jack is showing what he can pair stretches back do at the moment – and he has years. Indeed, they always had that belief in himself. won a prestige trophy “That’s the fine line for a lot of playing alongside players. When I look back now, with one another. the appearances I’ve made, I had a
The NextGen Series little feeling in the back of my head trophy was contested that I’d already done it. by the cream of Europe’s “But I was nowhere near it. I was young talent and Villa only training with the first-team at beat Chelsea back in 2013 Villa not playing, week in, week out. in Lake Como with the “Now all I can give West Brom’s two wannabes on the fans is just to try my best for same side. them every time I pull on the
Robinson added: shirt. It’s got me to where I
“That NextGen team am and, hopefully, it will was a good group. You’d pay off when it matters.”