Featured Image Credit: Everton Football Club
Topics: Jack Grealish, Everton, Pep Guardiola, Manchester City, Football, Transfers
Ryan Smart
Topics: Jack Grealish, Everton, Pep Guardiola, Manchester City, Football, Transfers
Jack Grealish has aimed a subtle 'dig' at Pep Guardiola in his first interview as an Everton player.
Grealish has joined Everton on a season-long loan from Manchester City.
According to The Athletic, the Toffees have an option to buy the 29-year-old for a fee of £50 million at the end of the loan.
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Grealish's main ambition will be to play himself back into form and give himself the opportunity to play at the 2026 World Cup.
He scored in Lee Carsley's first game in interim England charge in September 2024 but hasn't featured for his country under new manager Thomas Tuchel.
The Everton move also gives Grealish a chance to revitalise himself after two stop-start years at the Etihad Stadium.
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Guardiola dropped him from his squad for last season's final-day fixture against Fulham, while he did not appear at all during any of City's pre-season matches.
There have also been question marks over how the Spaniard has utilised the attacking midfielder.
In his first interview as an Everton player, Grealish appeared to aim an indirect dig at Guardiola.
"Even when I spoke to the manager, he says he wants me to be creative in the final third," he began.
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"I want to have that way about me where it's like I was before, where I have no fear. Sometimes you will lose the ball and miss chances, but also you want to be able to play that killer pass and have an end product.
"That's the main aim, and if I do all of that I really do feel like I can help this club.
"I can't wait. To be back playing in the Premier League, I think the last two seasons I've not really played as much as I wanted to at all. So hopefully I can come here and play, and get my rhythm, and show what I'm all about. Hopefully the fans know, from before, what I can bring."
On working under Moyes, he added: "I said to Seamus [Coleman] this morning, and to Tarky [James Tarkowski], when I had my first chat with the manager, that was the reason I wanted to come here. Probably the main reason.
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"I said to my agent, 'From now I don't want to go anywhere else. If we can get this deal done I want to go and play for Everton', after speaking to the manager."