Watching Villa’s u19s march to glory in the 2012/13 NextGen tournament on Eurosport (I do love the obscure football you find on Eurosport), there were only two players who stood out as potential first team Premier League quality. Striker Callum Robinson was one, the other was a 16/17 year old attacking midfielder named Jack Grealish.
As Villa slaughtered Sporting Lisbon in the semi final this skinny, cocky boy glided past frustrated defenders with ease. Slight of frame, but apparently training in a parallel universe gym where everyday is leg day and upper body is skipped, Grealish smiled as he was kicked from pillar to post in the exact manner we have seen in his breakthrough Premier League season. I even remember him looking up at an angered brut who had just chopped him down and giving him a cheeky wave and smile. This in turn brought a beaming smile to my face!
Grealish has the ability to do this. A drag back beyond a helpless Alex Song. A feint to put James McCarthy on his backside. Entertaining and making us purr with laughter and joy. But these were no longer u19 rookies, these were experienced, international midfielders. The opposition has changed but Grealish has not, he stills plays freely and with a smile on his face as if he were larking about with his pals.
Villa fans have known of the buzz about Grealish for some time, but 6 months ago the wider world and London media wouldn’t have known him from Adam. But now they do and now we have the stories and scandal. Who cares?! Grealish is not a player who relies on pace or athleticism so drinking binges aren’t going to hinder his game too much. In any case he wasn’t spark out on the floor the week leading up to a big game, he was on a lads summer holiday. I think it’s brilliant! With his outlandish haircut, blasé style and off field antics Grealish is proving to be one of a dying breed; a maverick. We all love a maverick.
Clearly Benteke is Villa’s outstanding player and Delph is the most influential to the function and fluency of the team. But Grealish has in a way fast become the most important player to the team. Buzzing around between the lines it is he we always look to find and in turn find a way to move us forward into the opposition box. Played wide by Paul Lambert, Grealish doesn’t have the strength or pace to be a marauding winger. He is the definition of a number 10, relying on the touch, guile, vision and a calmness that a 19 year old should not yet have.
But we have to remember he is still only a teenager. Exhilarating in his man of the match display in the FA Cup semi final vs Liverpool, contrasting with him somewhat freezing and putting in an anonymous performance in the final. Inconsistency like this would cause Lambert to drop him in and out the squad, but in Tim Sherwood we now have a manager that will keep faith and keep playing him giving him the trust and confidence to develop. Grealish should be Villa’s number 10 and the team built with this in mind.
Some people love nothing more than to knock young players down and a complete over the top reaction to Grealish getting steaming can be expected. It will do his international prospects no good, especially of he chooses to play for England over Ireland. But does that really matter if he can become a Villa legend and be adored as one of our own? Off the field lifestyle choices burdened the international careers of the likes of Gazza and Le Tissier but they still had unbelievable careers. And their maverick moments will live long in the hearts and memories of so many more than that of the straight laced professionals. So don’t sneer at our Jack the lad, embrace him and all hail the new maverick!
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