Jack Grealish has revealed his desire to play under Jose Mourinho after the Portuguese manager paid him a huge compliment in comparing him to 2000 Ballon d'Or winner Luis Figo.
Aston Villa skipper Grealish was in fine form for England in Euro 2020 warm-up fixtures against Austria and Romania, with many hoping he is afforded a start in the second group game against Scotland.
He's been compared to the likes of Paul Gascoigne but speaking ahead of the tournament, new Roma boss Mourinho likened him to compatriot Figo.
Advert
One of the greatest players of his generation, Figo turned out for the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Inter Milan, where he played under Mourinho.
"I don't like making comparisons, especially with a Golden Ball winner, but Grealish reminds me of my Figo," he said on talkSPORT.
"Figo, I had him in different periods in my career but I had him in his last season as a player at Inter Milan and even in his last season he was like, 'give me the ball and I will resolve the problems for you'.
Advert
"The way Grealish gets the ball and attacks people, gets fouls, gets penalties, he's very powerful, I like him very much."
Grealish was made aware of Mourinho's comments and appreciated the high praise he received. Hailing the 58-year-old's "unbelievable" managerial record, Grealish expressed an interest in linking up with 'the Special One' in the future.
"I heard what Mourinho said, a lot of people sent me that," Grealish told talkSPORT in response to Mourinho.
Advert
"You try not to listen to too much, whether it's good or bad. It's always nice when people are speaking about you, especially someone like Jose Mourinho.
"He's done so much in the game, he's such a popular man in football and he's not short of football knowledge.
"Luis Figo is someone who I looked up to when I was a kid. He was an unbelievable player, but the the main thing was it came from Mourinho, who is an unbelievable manager.
"He's done unbelievable things in the game. Hopefully one day I could play under him."
Advert
Having been an unused substitute for the 1-0 win over Croatia, the 25-year-old is itching to make his mark against Scotland at Wembley on Friday.
"I'm so desperate just to get on the pitch and prove to people just how good I am," Grealish told talkSPORT.
"These are the type of games that I thrive off.
Advert
"Not even just in this tournament, I've made a name for myself [in other big games] during my career. I'm desperate to be involved.
"But the main thing is the team get the three points and carry on our good start."
Featured Image Credit:Topics: Jose Mourinho, Football, Jack Grealish, Luis Figo
