One of the major surprises this summer was the omission of Jack Grealish from Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the European Championships. Grealish had been a regular for England during his time at Manchester City. But after a disappointing 23/24 season on the pitch, Grealish suffered the disappointment of missing out on selection for the European Championships. Now the City winger appears set to use that disappointment as motivation for the 24/25 season. That will be to Manchester City’s gain if Grealish can return to his best.
There is little doubt that the 23/24 season was a disappointing one on the pitch for Jack Grealish. The winger was one of City’s most important players as they famously claimed the treble during the 22/23 season. But last season Grealish wasn’t at his best due to a combination of factors. He suffered several frustrating injuries throughout the 23/24 season. There was also the traumatic break-in of his family home, which affected the England international. After such a tumultuous 23/24 season it appeared that a summer of rest may have been the best thing for Grealish. While he suffered disappointment in missing out on selection for England this summer he should be able to hit the 24/25 season refreshed for what lies ahead.
Jack Grealish is determined to use the disappointment of this summer as motivation.
Speaking before Manchester City’s friendly against Barcelona Grealish spoke of his heartbreak at missing out on selection for the European Championships. He further explained that he also had one of the biggest summer breaks for some time. In an interview which was shared on mancity.com, Grealish said: “Obviously, I’m really happy to be back. It was probably one of the longest summer breaks I’ve had in the last three or four years. To get over five weeks’ holiday was very nice. I will be honest, I would say football wise (being left out of England’s Euro 2024 squad) it was the most difficult thing I’ve ever had to deal with in my career.”
Grealish further explained that he will use his summer disappointment as motivation for this season. He added: “I have had a lot of ups and downs in my career. It was difficult, but I will use this as motivation going into this new season, and hopefully, I can prove a few people wrong. I have to use that now as motivation going into this season and try and have the same mentality I had two years ago in my first season at City.”
A motivated and hungry Jack Grealish could be a major weapon for Manchester City.
A hungry and motivated Jack Grealish has the potential to be a major weapon for Manchester City this season. At his best, he provides a different option on City’s left wing. It has also appeared during City’s two pre-season friendlies against Celtic and AC Milan that the England international could play a more central role next season. That move has the potential to be a massive boost to Pep Guardiola’s squad. There is no doubting the talent of Jack Grealish, but now, after suffering disappointment, the challenge is there for Grealish to make an impact this season. He is more than capable of achieving that feat. How he performs next season could be crucial to City’s chase for trophies on multiple fronts next season.
A motivated Jack Grealish could be a decisive factor for Manchester City next season. The challenge is there for the England international to rebound from this summer’s disappointment. But the early signs are that Grealish is ready to put a poor 23/24 season behind him. That is a great sign for him and City ahead of what promises to be another long and tense season.
