Steve Bruce has admitted he spent the summer of 2018 touting Jack Grealish to Premier League clubs, in order to stave off the threat of administration. The Newcastle United manager will come up against Aston Villa for the second time since his unceremonious sacking tonight and has revealed his time on B6, was one of his most difficult jobs. Bruce guided Villa to the play-offs in 2017/18, but after defeat to Fulham, they were hours away from financial disaster, until the 11th hour sale to Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens. However, Bruce has now revealed that he was forced to try and sell the club’s most prized asset – with Tottenham close to completing a deal, before he decided to stay with his boyhood club.
Steve Bruce said “People ask me about difficult jobs – Aston Villa was arguably the most difficult, When I remember back, after we lost the play-off final the club was within hours, I mean hours (away from administration) without the new owners coming in. I’m trying to tout Jack Grealish around everywhere to try to raise money, otherwise the club was going to collapse, so it was a really difficult, difficult time. But the new owners came in and made the decision they made (Bruce was sacked in October 2018) and I’m sure they think themselves justified when they got up to the Premier League.”
