Jack Grealish regrets Miguel Almiron's comments
- World Soccer Today-
JACK GREALISH said he was a man with a good heart but would do "stupid things" which explains why the striker went from talking about making a boy feel like a king during celebrations to digging at Miguel Almiron expresses remorse.
The home-grown Aston Villa star became the most expensive English player in history last year, continuing the glamorous career of the 27-year-old, whose life has come to an end in the public eye.
Grealish has not shied away from his mistakes and embraced the pressure of playing for reigning Premier League champions Manchester City and trying to help England to World Cup glory.
Gareth Southgate has used the skilled striker in every game in Qatar so far, and his goal against Iran allowed him to cash in on the A commitment from Finley Fisher, a Manchester City student with cerebral palsy.
“It’s natural — I wouldn’t do it for any influence or anything,” Grealish said of the “hands-waving” celebration he said he would do for the 11-year-old.
"I do it because that's what I feel like I'm good at sometimes. Because I can relate to my sister (Holly, who also has cerebral palsy), and it's a good thing for him too.
"Because it's popular, it's fine for him because he'll go back to school and he'll probably be popular. That's just a natural thing.
"I think it ended up being very good, very emotional actually. That's how I was raised. I know I was raised well.
"I have a good heart, I think I do. Obviously I've done stupid things in my life, but I think every good thing I've done has come from my heart."
Grealish's family has been in Qatar, with dad Kevin wearing a Union Jack vest and bow tie that "looked like something from the market", according to the City player, with visually impaired sister Hollie supporting him in the game.
"She gets it, but she obviously can't watch the game and stuff, so she just sits on her iPad," he said.
"She was obsessed with Coronation Street, so she started watching Coronation Street in 1998. Kirk was about 10 years old there. He's almost forty now?"
Grealish laughs as he speaks passionately about his family and living his dreams, meaning he is often the last to leave training - and sometimes even the pub.
The 27-year-old's antics as City celebrated May's Premier League title only highlighted the star's move from amusing fans to poking fun at Newcastle's Almiron.
Grealish did not realize that a video comparing Riyad Mahrez's ineffective final-day performance to the Paraguayan was public and went viral.
"When I said earlier that sometimes I do stupid things," Grealish said. "I regret that.
"I swear I'm really interested in his reaction. He spoke about me in an interview the other day and he wished me the best.
"I thought 'what a nice guy' because if that was me and someone said that about me, I'd probably turn the other way, like 'fuck it.'"
Grealish contacted former Villa team-mate Matt Targett to apologize to Almiron after his impressive form.
"I thought it was just personal, but even in private I shouldn't say it because he's a professional," he said. "I'm actually rooting for him. I have a lot of Newcastle fans and rightly so."
Gavin Cooney reports from Qatar
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Grealish doesn't seem to let mistakes like that weigh him down too much, nor is he held back by the pressure of playing in his first World Cup or becoming a £100m player.
The 27-year-old laughed off premature talk of a possible party after lifting the trophy - "It's going to be a hell of a week or two" he said with a laugh - and instead addressed some criticism of England frustrated.
Senegal ended their 0-0 statement with the United States at the top of Group B with a 6-2 win over Iran and a 3-0 win over Wales on Sunday, leading to boos and criticism.
"I remember reading something and thinking 'fuck let's take a break'. You know what I mean?" he said.
"After a game, I'm reading about how frustrating we are. It can happen to anyone. I think we do deserve some credit as a team.
"We've got seven points from two clean sheets in three games and now only conceded twice and obviously scored nine goals.
"We've got to play game by game but it's a good image to think about winning but we've got to play game after game because we had a strong opponent on Sunday."
Grealish looks unlikely to start against Senegal, but it will be a surprise if Southgate keep the talented striker from the bench.
"When I come here, if we draw at half-time, all the lads will say to me 'make sure you're ready' and it makes you feel like they want you, which makes me feel good," he added.
"Whenever the manager asks me to start or come off the bench, I'm ready to go out and try to change the game."
