A “heartbroken” Jack Grealish intends to use his omission from England’s Euro 2024 squad as motivation for the new season. The Manchester City midfielder was named on Gareth Southgate’s preliminary list but was left out of the group that finished as runners-up to Spain in Germany this month.
“I’ll be honest, it was probably, football-wise, the most difficult thing I’ve ever had to deal with in terms of my own career,” Grealish told a press conference before City’s friendly in Florida against Barcelona.
“I was absolutely heartbroken,” Grealish continued. “I also had some stuff happening off the field. People from the outside don’t see. They think we’re just robots. We have a life off the field. Sometimes it’s difficult to deal with that.
“If I sit here and say that I don’t feel like I should have been in the squad, you’re gonna be thinking: ‘What’s this guy like? What’s he thinking?’ So, of course, I thought I should have been in the squad. I felt like I offer something different to the players in the England squad, but it is what it is.
“Moving forward, I have to just try to use that as motivation going into this season and try to have the same mentality as I had two years ago. My first season at City, I don’t think I performed as well as I could. The second, I played a lot of games. I wanted to come back stronger.
“I’m not stupid, I know what it takes for myself to bounce back this season. You know how good a player I am, I need to regain my fitness and form and I know what I can do personally.”
Pep Guardiola has no concerns about Grealish’s attitude. “No complaints,” the City manager said. “His body language, behaviour, the way he trains is the Jack we know. He’ll be back to his best because we need him.”
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Guardiola accepts Kevin De Bruyne, who is attracting interest from the Saudi Pro League, has earned the right to decide his own future. “What he has done for us is massive so he can decide,” he said. “The information I have now is he will stay. The club informed me that they didn’t have an offer. I don’t know what will happen, but I want him to stay.”
Source: theguardian.com
