Over the last few years, Jack Grealish has certainly endeared himself to Aston Villa fans. The Birmingham native has embodied all the characteristics you’d desire from a local lad and a boyhood Villa fan. He carries himself on the pitch with a passion and commitment that you might not expect from a modern young player.
But there are no delusions or misgivings with Grealish. While perhaps his slicked-back hair and low socks may present the 24-year-old as arrogant in the eyes of some football supporters, nothing could be further from the truth. While moves to bigger clubs may have tempted him in the past, Grealish has proven himself to be committed to Villa’s cause, to value the interests of the club above his own.
This was clear for all to see in Villa’s burst of form in the second half of last season. Grealish was the centre point of the team, the hinge from which Villa’s attacking exploits swung, as well as being the inspirational figurehead for their run from mid-table mediocrity to play-off winners. It was perhaps the second leg of the play-off semi-final against West Brom where we saw this passion and leadership at its best, driving Villa towards their penalty shoot-out victory, celebrating with the fans afterwards as if promotion was already secured. That was how much it meant.
It was a far cry from the uncertainty which had shrouded Grealish the previous summer. Tottenham Hotspur had come calling, and a £25 million transfer looked likely before the deal eventually fell through, and Grealish admitted his disappointment at the time. “I felt that if I’d gone there I could have maybe been in the England squad by the end of the year,” he told the Telegraph. “I would never have gone there just to make up the numbers.”
It is the ambition evident in these words that help us to understand Grealish’s drive. It’s clear his desire to leave Villa was not born of a lust for money. He is a player desperate to become the best he can be, to break records and make an impact on the game as a whole. It is difficult to do that in the Championship, and so you can appreciate Grealish wanting to play at a higher level. One of the main reasons for the joy and relief visible in the 24-year-old when Villa did win promotion last season was that he now had the chance to make this impact at the club he loves.
One of the biggest decisions manager Dean Smith made when he arrived at Villa Park was to make Grealish captain. It was a decision that suited all parties. Grealish was given the responsibility that would undoubtedly cause him to lift his level of performance, while the fans had a local lad to get behind as the leader of their club. Despite odds on the Premiership listing Villa among the relegation favourites, fans will be hoping that their captain’s drive and determination will help them avoid such a fate.
Grealish is, in many ways, perfectly suited to the role of the modern captain. He is a player who wears his heart on his sleeve, as all traditional captains do, but there is much more to him than that. He has an ability to seize a game by the scruff of the neck and make a difference when things are going wrong, but he does it with his unique modern flair. The skill, the trickery, the precision of his first touch – all this is married with a tenacity and passion that all captains should possess.
Aston Villa are a club looking to forge a new road ahead. Before their relegation to the Championship in 2016, a distinct gloom had built up around the club, hanging over Villa Park like a troublesome rain cloud. Toxicity had formed among supporters, so fed up were they with several seasons of insipid, lifeless football. In the season they were relegated, Villa won just three matches, a pitiful return for a club used to challenging in the top half of the table.
Perhaps the three seasons spent in the Championship have shaken the club into action. In Dean Smith, they now have the perfect manager to bring them into this new era. He is a coach who grew up supporting Villa, who holds the interests of the club as close to his heart as any supporter. Grealish is the perfect captain to lead under Smith. He represents all the flair of the modern attacking player, while simultaneously embodying all the traditional virtues of a leader. With the feel-good factor returning to Villa Park once again, Villa fans may consign the dark days to history, and turn their heads towards a brighter future under their young and enigmatic captain.