There is no denying that Jack Grealish has struggled during his time at Manchester City so far.
Brought in for a British record fee of £100 million, the 27-year-old was expected to set the world alight by some, especially off the back of a fruitful Euro 2020 campaign and an excellent season at Aston Villa.
However, the Englishman has largely looked like a shadow of his former self in a sky blue shirt.
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Renowned for being the most entertaining player in the Premier League at Aston Villa, Jack Grealish has been criticised for often being extremely risk-averse at the Etihad Stadium.
On the one hand, some have suggested that Pep Guardiola’s system takes time to get used to, especially for forwards, as seen through the likes of Bernardo Silva and Riyad Mahrez.
On the other hand, some feel the Solihull-born attacker must justify the record-breaking fee paid by Manchester City, especially as he cannot be classed as a young player at 27 years of age.
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In a recent press conference while on international duty with England, Jack Grealish gave his own perspective on why he has failed to live up to expectations at Manchester City so far.
“In the last three, four years before I moved to (Manchester) City, I knew I was going to play every minute of every game," he said, as quoted by the Mirror.
Jack Grealish continued, “And I was captain there (Aston Villa), I was one of the first names on the team sheet.
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"And I’ve come to a club like City - and this is no disrespect to the people I was with at Villa, a brilliant club with very good players - and there’s the likes of Kevin (De Bruyne), Phil (Foden), I could go on and on.
"It’s difficult. We’ve even got a full-back at the moment in Joao Cancelo who I reckon is one of the best wingers in the world!”
The much-maligned attacker explained how not being a guaranteed starter for Pep Guardiola’s side has also affected his displays.
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“So, it’s obviously different, it’s difficult at times, because when I was at Villa for example, I just played every game and you felt like you were in a rhythm."
"But listen, you’re going to get that, when you're playing at a club with so many top players.
"As long as we’re training well and we’re playing well, it’s alright.”
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With Jack Grealish putting in perhaps his finest performance to date at Manchester City during some of the ongoing season's opening games, his redemption arc may finally be coming to fruition.
Featured Image Credit: PA Images / AlamyTopics: Jack Grealish, Manchester City, Premier League, Aston Villa, Manchester City Transfer News & Rumours, Joao Cancelo, Pep Guardiola, Football