What Grealish is doing away from the pitch that’s impressing Everton teammates
Sometimes a change is as good as a rest, and Jack Grealish has had both this summer.
Left out of Manchester City’s squad for the Club World Cup, his future lay away from the Etihad and as the new season approached the England international secured a loan switch to Everton with an option for the Toffees to make the move permanent next summer.
And while City started the campaign with a bang as Grealish and Everton struggled at Leeds, fortunes have been reversed since.City have lost successive matches while Everton have claimed two wins from two to climb into the top five with Grealish at the fore.
He’s collected four assists in two games and left to a standing ovation from the home supporters in the closing stages of Everton’s first game at their new Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Unsurprisingly the Everton fans have taken to the 30-year-old and he has taken to them. He enjoyed a quiet visit to the stadium on his first full day as an Evertonian, while conversations with Wayne Rooney and Jordan Pickford ahead of the switch reaffirmed what Grealish wants to achieve on Merseyside.
“I think in life you’ve always got to keep something you have to strive to do and I think Jack wants to show that he’s a good player,” said his new boss David Moyes.
“I think he’s showing it at the moment, I think some of his football has been really good. The biggest compliment I can probably give him is he’s better than I thought he was. He’s so good.”
It’s not just on the pitch that Grealish is catching the eye. The way he conducts himself around the training ground, his work ethic and how he has ingratiated himself into life at Everton have also earned him plaudits.
Staff have commented on how humble and personable Grealish is and how he is generous with his time.
Some of his new teammates were wary of what they were getting with Grealish – a player who has created headlines on the front pages as well as the back. But his drive in training has impressed his contemporaries.
“One thing I’ve noticed is Jack’s one of the first in and one of the last out at training every day,” fellow new signing Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall said.
“He’s always doing the recovery, doing the right things, ice baths, massages, putting himself in the best possible position to perform for the team. And look, he’s played three games this week, which is a credit to him. He’s kept himself in the right shape.”
