Manager has now backed £300k-a-week Man City player to flourish this season
Manchester City’s players are now in their final preparations ahead of the upcoming 2024/25 Premier League season.
Following their pre-season tour of America where they played friendly games against Celtic, AC Milan, Barcelona and Chelsea, Pep Guardiola’s side beat Manchester United in the recent Community Shield final at Wembley Stadium.
City’s opening game of the campaign sees them take on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
Ahead of this game and the new season, a former top-flight manager has shared a claim about one particular figure in the City squad who he knows a lot about.
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Jack Grealish #10 of Manchester City defends Reece James #24 of Chelsea FC during a pre-season friendly at Ohio Stadium on August 03, 2024 in Colum…
Dean Smith backs Jack Grealish to shine at Man City
After seeing Jack Grealish, who he managed at Aston Villa, have a difficult previous season at City and then not get picked in the England squad for the 2024 European Championship, Dean Smith had this to say about the winger in a recent interview with Give Me Sport.
He said: “As for Jack, he had a huge disappointment during the summer, which he has spoken about freely. He will use that as fire now, and he is becoming a parent soon as well.
“I think that maturation of Jack that we have seen over the years is coming to the fore and, hopefully, he can carry on his form from pre-season into the new season.
“He is a top player. He has gone to Manchester City and won everything with them since he’s been there. He was an integral part of that treble win.
“He didn’t play as many games as he would have wished last season for one reason or another. He had a couple of nasty injuries as well, but I have no doubts he’ll come to the fore as he always does.”
Grealish has a big season ahead of him
Having played in 90 games under Smith, across which he scored 23 goals and delivered 25 assists, Grealish is certainly someone the former Villa manager knows a lot about, not only as a player but as a person as well.
The £300k-a-week winger’s previous league campaign saw him start just 10 of the 20 games he appeared in, bagging three goals and providing just one assist.
Having said last month that he’ll be using his club and country disappointments as motivation to do well in this season, this will be exactly what the City fans want to hear and see from him on the pitch throughout the season.
