Jack Grealish started on Thursday for the first time with the England team and shone so much in the 3-0 win against Wales that they have already begun to compare him for his play with a legend like Paul Gascoigne. Pep Guardiola's Manchester City wanted to sign Grealish this past summer (as did United, a great citizen rival of the 'citizens'), but in the end the 25-year-old Aston Villa captain remains with the Birmingham team.
Grealish was named MVP of the friendly against the Welsh at Wembley and, due to his style of play, some already compare him with Gascoigne, stellar in the 1990 World Cup in Italy with England, with which throughout his career he played 57 games.
“I don't look like Gascoigne but I would like to be like him because of the way he played soccer. I would like to be compared to Gazza, an absolute icon. Together with Wayne Rooney he was probably one of the greatest players in England in the last 30 years. If I had to choose one of the two, the first would be Gazza, “said Grealish.
Exceptional for Pep Guardiola
“I want to be in the national team now and in the future, in the next five or six years, I wish a long career with England,” said the Aston Villa midfielder, “whom Guardiola described in 2019 as” exceptional, but too expensive. ” .
England coach Gareth Southgate believes that Jack Grealish is not in favor of not being compared to Gascoigne. “I don't want to dampen the enthusiasm for Jack, but when you talk about Gascoigne there is no other player in English history who has been at his level,” said the England coach. Grealish may continue to start in the 'pross' this Sunday in the Nations League game against Belgium at Wembley.