Jack Grealish must rise to Roy Keane challenge as Man City man looks to realise £100m potential

Man City boss Pep Guardiola, like all club managers, is not a fan of the international break but even he must have been glad to see Jack Grealish’s successful reintegration into the England setup.

After the disappointment of missing out on the Three Lions squad for EURO 2024 under Gareth Southgate, Grealish was recalled by new interim manager Lee Carsley.

He was straight back in the starting XI, too, scoring from the number 10 position in Saturday’s 2-0 win over the Republic of Ireland in the UEFA Nations League.

Grealish’s performance caught the eye, not least of former Ireland captain and ITV pundit, Roy Keane, who was also impressed with his performance in Tuesday’s 2-0 win over Finland.

“[The] Biggest thing for Jack is, I definitely think he needs to play regularly at Man City and that’s obviously difficult, the challenges there,” Keane told ITV.

“I think he needs to be sharp. When he’s not playing regularly he does lose that sharpness very quickly. So it’s key he gets games at City.

“Usually when you’re doing well at club level, you’re selected for your international team. So your bread and butter is what you do week-in, week-out at club level, particularly for players like Jack.

“After what’s happened this summer he’s reacted well, scored at the weekend, done well tonight. But looking forward, he has to play a lot more regularly for City.”

And that is the challenge that now faces City’s £100million man. After initially struggling in his first season at the Etihad Stadium, he emerged as one of the star men during City’s historic treble-winning 2022/23 season.

But he struggled for form and consistency last term, in a season disrupted by injuries, and, ultimately, that was what cost him his place in the England setup.

The 29-year-old has returned with a point to prove in his fourth season in City blue and the challenge is now set for him to finally cement himself as a key player on a consistent basis for both club and country.

Keane was joined by former Arsenal forward Ian Wright in the ITV studio, and he said of Grealish: “I’d like to see him playing like he used to play because if he can get back to that Aston Villa Jack then there’s no way anyone can keep him out of that team.”

Grealish’s prodigious talent at Aston Villa ultimately convinced Guardiola he was worthy of a club record transfer fee. He has the platform to prove that worth this season and he has given himself a positive foundation to build from.

Having started in the 3-1 win over West Ham, Grealish will hope his performances on the international stage will be enough to convince Guardiola to hand him another starting berth when City host Brentford on Saturday.

It is then up to the England international, who has three years remaining on his current contract, to prove he deserves to stay there.

If he can build on his performances over the last week there is no reason Grealish will ever have to doubt his international place again.

And if that does become the case, it can only benefit City.