In light of Jack Grealish becoming a maiden Premier League winner in his first season at Manchester City, some had claimed that the England international played little to no role in his side’s success.
The former Aston Villa captain had struggled to find his feet in his debut campaign, registering just three Premier League goals and three assists last term.
The 26-year-old even went on to admit that a prime factor behind why he was playing within himself is due to getting to grips with Pep Guardiola’s possession-based system.
During his time at Villa, the silky attacker was renowned as one of the division’s best dribblers, a high-volume chance creator and arguably the most entertaining player in the country.
Advert
Changing his approach to being a lot more risk-averse in comparison, Jack Grealish struggled to impose himself on games in sky blue.
The weight of the £100 million price tag on his shoulders as well may not have helped the Englishman’s case, as he did not seem as comfortable on the pitch as his fellow teammates in the 2021/22 season.
Several sceptics continue to hold the opinion that after a season of failing to impress at the Etihad Stadium, Jack Grealish will find it a tall task to be considered as a key member of the side this term.
However, Pep Guardiola rendered such opinions as myths, when quizzed about how crucial the former Aston Villa star could be during their fixture pile-up in the run towards the FIFA World Cup.
Advert
“Very important," the Manchester City manager succinctly replied.
With Jack Grealish suffering injury woes in recent weeks, the Catalan manager was asked whether he considered bringing him on to impact the game during City’s recent 1-1 draw against Aston Villa.
“We thought about it at one-zero but he trained just two days," the manager opened.
Advert
"If we had scored two, for sure we would have had him in.
"Jack (Grealish) started the season really well and we need players so it’s good to have him back."
As was the case with the likes of Bernardo Silva, Riyad Mahrez and Joao Cancelo in their debut seasons at Manchester City, the trio came to life after struggling to get going in their early days at the club.
Advert
With Jack Grealish having had a lot more experience of playing under Pep Guardiola and at Manchester City as a whole, he could become a much more key figure in the 2022/23 campaign.
Next up for Grealish and his City teammates is a testing fixture against Tottenham in the Premier League - a clash between the only two remaining unbeaten sides this term.
Topics: Jack Grealish, Pep Guardiola, Manchester City, Premier League, Football
Srinivas Sadhanand