Liverpool legend Graeme Souness has warned Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish not to ‘believe in his own hype’.
Graeme Souness said “I’m not sure Grealish enjoys being central. He prefers coming off the left wing onto his right foot. It’s easier to get on the ball and get your head up there. He also has a lot to admire and plenty of assists, but I’d still like him to get it out of his feet sooner, take two touches and hit a striker with a pass rather than take too many. There’s no doubting his dribbling skills, but I still want him to work harder, too. The biggest danger is he starts to believe in his own hype. If you talk about Villa, he’s the first name you think of. The danger is greater for him than the others because he’s already the captain and main man at his club, where the supporters are crying out for success. The spotlight is firmly on him and I just hope the people round him can keep him grounded.”
Grealish has scored seven times this season and registered 12 assists while he found the back of the net on ten occasions in 2019-20 while contributing to eight other goals for his team-mates. The Villa captain was the subject of summer interest from Manchester United but signed a new contract to remain at his boyhood club. His fine form has continued under Dean Smith and the absence of Grealish for Sunday’s game against Leicester City was the big talking point from the 2-1 defeat such has been his impact.