Searing summer sprints, a burglary and fatherhood – the Jack Grealish comeback

After a nightmare season, the Man City star has his mojo and his England place back and he is resolved to make his new start count

It was shortly before last season’s FA Cup final when Jack Grealish, growing increasingly frustrated at the direction of his campaign, had a crucial Pep talk.
Ahead of the showpiece against Manchester United at Wembley in May, Pep Guardiola pulled Grealish aside and told him to remember the struggles of an injury-ravaged season and use it as motivation.
Another low moment then followed, with Manchester City’s £100 million signing failing to come off the bench in that final.
Weeks later he suffered the “devastation” of being left out of England’s squad for Euro 2024, with the decision bewildering many of the squad.
Harry Kane, the England captain, even approached manager Gareth Southgate to try to find out the reasoning behind his exclusion on behalf of the players.
It seemed as if Grealish was at a crossroads. With only 10 league starts in 2023-24, and just three goals and three assists in all competitions, it was undoubtedly a season to forget. There was also the nightmarish experience of a burglary at his Knutsford home, which took place in December last year when he was playing for City at Everton.
Yet now, it appears Jack is back. Grealish has proven adept at defying adversity throughout his career, and the early signs are suggesting that he will do it again.
Last week he had just finished a training session at City’s Etihad Campus when he received the call from Lee Carsley to inform him he would be returning to the England squad. 
Quickly calling his parents, dad Kevin and mum Karen, to relay the good news that afternoon, the first target of the season had been ticked off.
Three days later, he made his first start since his Euros omission in City’s 3-1 win over West Ham and produced arguably his best performance in months. The shimmering menace returned. That familiar flamboyance and love of the game was there.
Grealish knows this resurgence has to continue. Without question, this season is huge for him, and he is fully aware of its importance. Guardiola is demanding more, too.
Grealish cannot afford another season like last one, when three major injuries and a loss of form made it an easy decision for Southgate to leave him out of his 26-player squad. That was a decision which Grealish admitted was “absolutely heartbreaking” and his hardest moment in football.
Known as “The Brummie Boss” by family members, he will turn 29 on the day England face Finland at Wembley on Tuesday.
Carsley has already admitted that Grealish – a fellow Peaky Blinders fan – has a point to prove, and his belief in attacking football should suit both.
Saturday’s meeting with the Republic of Ireland presents an intriguing subplot to Grealish’s return. As a teenager, he was pursued intently by the Football Association of Ireland over committing his long-term future to the country. Indeed, he was once Ireland’s Under-18s player of the year, and won the same award with the Under-21s 12 months later. A battle between Ireland’s manager at the time, Martin O’Neill, and the FA followed.
It was actually Southgate, then in charge of the England Under-21s, who played the pivotal role in persuading Grealish to play for England. He met him at Birmingham’s Malmaison hotel, assuring him he could complete the pathway from the 21s to the senior team. O’Neill was promising Grealish a regular place in the first team, but the decision had been made.
There was always a sense that Southgate never trusted the No 10 at international level, despite repeated denials, but it was he who has proved so important in Grealish’s England journey.
This weekend, Grealish will be assured of a warm reception at the Aviva Stadium. He is in line to come up against his best mate in football, Cardiff City’s Callum Robinson, who came up through Villa’s academy with him.
Without doubt, it is certainly a big week for Grealish as he bids to use Guardiola’s advice as fuel. The response so far has been admirable.
Despite his reputation as a nocturnal operator, Grealish’s commitment to his craft has never been in doubt. At Aston Villa, he once told Telegraph Sport a story of how he woke up at 5am most mornings to jog across the beaches of Santorini while on holiday with Sasha, his long-term partner.
This summer, it has been a similar story. He made a trip to Portugal with elite trainer Jamie Reynolds – better known as “Jamie Velocity” – and undertook strict sessions in the searing heat. He made every day count in the summer, even managing to spend some downtime at the Wimbledon finals in July.
At City’s pre-season tour of the United States, he was given a timely reminder of his elevated status. Even he was taken aback by the adulation he received from supporters.
There is a wonderful short video on social media of a girl in tears meeting him and, voice cracking, uttering the words “I love you”. Grealish smiles, and simply replies “yeah?” with that familiar Solihull twang.
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Grealish will soon become a father, with Sasha announcing on social media in July that she was expecting their first child. Those demands will inevitably be life-changing. Guardiola was understood to be delighted with the news, and feels it will bring a new level of maturity to his record signing.
Grealish just wants the good times to keep on coming. He is approaching an age where he needs to be influencing games at international level and in the Champions League for his club.
There is clearly huge competition in his England position, with players considerably younger such as Jude Bellingham, Cole Palmer and Morgan Gibbs-White.
Yet this feels like a new start, and one he needs to seize. The comeback is always more memorable than the setback.
Perhaps those trademark low socks and tiny shin pads will be seen more regularly on our television screens in the next few months.