Exclusive Interview with Jack Grealish: The Man City Winger Talks About the Cohesion of Pep Guardiola’s Team and His Goals in the Premier League and FA Cup

The room goes quiet when Jack Grealish comes in, but he immediately heats it up.

“Hello mate!” he says in his chirpy, signature Brummie twang.

He shot for PUMA’s new “Forever.Faster”. But there was no obvious loss of energy and his signature hairstyle somehow remains in pristine condition.

In retrospect, his behavior was telling. His interview with Sky Sports in Manchester took place shortly before his return to action after being sidelined for six weeks with a groin injury.

Just days earlier, Man City confirmed his return to training; Four days later, on March 31st in the 0-0 draw against Arsenal, he made his first Premier League appearance since February 10th.

He posted photos of his recovery journey on Instagram. “A lonely month working my way back,” the caption reads.

“When I’m injured, I watch clips of myself and remember how many beautiful moments I had in football. “It brings back my love for football,” says Grealish.

“There is nothing better. It’s what I’m used to and what I’ve done all my life. So when I’m stuck inside while the team trains for a month or six weeks, sometimes it’s difficult.” .

“The injury definitely gave me the extra motivation to come back, just play well again and try to be successful with City. I’m overjoyed to be back and hope I can finish the season successfully.”

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How does Jack Grealish see the game?

“I see the positive side of being an attacking player and loving football the way I do,” he continues.

“My game is all about creativity and taking risks on the ball, be it dribbling towards players or setting up or scoring goals.”

“I’m more of a spontaneous player. I just go with the flow and whatever happens in that moment, I just react to it in that moment.”

“I like watching clips of myself before games, not to visualize moments, but rather to bring back good memories and give myself a little confidence.”

“We are given iPads before games so we can look at the opposing defender we are playing against. This way I know whether he is left or right footed, how he likes to play and what his strengths and weaknesses are. Besides, I would do that too.” I’m not saying that I visualize situations.

Mentality is a buzzword in football these days and with Pep Guardiola – one of the game’s great minds – as his manager, Grealish knows the importance of a strong mindset on the pitch.

It is undoubtedly what has helped him regain a place in City’s starting line-up, with the 28-year-old playing the full 90 minutes in two comfortable wins against former clubs Aston Villa and Crystal Palace earlier this month .

Kevin De Bruyne’s two stunning goals grabbed the headlines in the last game, but Grealish played a starring role and was instrumental in all four of City’s goals in the 4-2 win at Selhurst Park.

“Being mentally strong is one of the most important things you have to have. It’s one of the most important things when you play for a big club like City,” he says.

“It’s all well and good taking the ball when it’s 3-0 or 4-0, but it’s the moments when it’s 0-0 and you’re playing at an away stadium – be it Anfield or somewhere the fans are on you – in which you take the ball.” Ball and the ball want in such situations.

“One thing that’s pretty big at City and we talk about a lot is just focusing on the next game. All you can really do is focus on the next game.”

He knows he will maintain that presence of mind even after he crosses the touchline and returns home.

“These days you can have a bad game and it can be all over social media or in the newspapers. If you look at the top players over the years, Messi, Ronaldo, that’s something they had more than anyone else in the world.

“I’ve had times where I’ve been through a difficult patch and I’m now playing at City and for England with players who have held a lot over the years and I know they don’t read anything anymore.”

“Even now I don’t have Twitter because you see so much stuff there that you don’t need to see written about. If you see or hear a lot of it, it can come to mind.”

As always, things are going well for City in the final month of the season on two fronts.

With four Premier League games remaining, they find themselves in a three-way battle for the title with Arsenal and Liverpool, while a second successive Manchester derby awaits them in the FA Cup final on May 25.

“I’ve said in many interviews that for me, the team I’m in now – and especially last year – it’s just unbelievable the togetherness we have. Over the years there have been so many top teams in the Premier League that haven’t done what we’ve done.

“Even the 2018/19 City team with David Silva, Sergio Aguero and Kevin De Bruyne and the 2008/09 Man United team with Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez – none of these teams won the treble.”

“That says something about our team because you can have all the talent in the world, but you also have to have the other side of it, like cohesion on the field. This is something we had and have so much of.” Got it this season too.

“With the experience we have and the quality we have, we don’t really doubt ourselves.

“I feel like everyone knows how hard it is to win a treble. We did it last year and it was one of the best feelings I’ve ever had in football, especially because I played such a big role in it.”

“I just want to finish the season strong and try to win every competition we’re in right now.”

Grealish has high hopes heading into the final months of the season – and who can blame him? The timing of his return could hardly have been better.

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