GREAL TOUGH
Jack Grealish opens up on ‘the most difficult year of my life’ despite birth of daughter amid Man City struggles
The 29-year-old was snubbed for Euro 2024 and has spent much of the year on the bench
JACK GREALISH has described 2024 as "probably the most difficult year of my life for many reasons" – despite the birth of his daughter.
Manchester City’s £100million man – hailed as a ‘street-fighter’ by boss Pep Guardiola – provided the clever 79th-minute assist for Kevin De Bruyne that sunk Leyton Orient in the FA Cup.
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That could be the moment that kick-starts his season because he is pleased to see the back of the previous calendar year.
The highlights included becoming a dad to Mila Rose in September and winning another Premier League crown, which he celebrated in boozy, topless fashion on the parade.
The lowlights saw him struggle for form and spend more time warming a spot on the bench – he did not appear in the FA Cup Final defeat to Manchester United.
And then he was heartbreakingly omitted from Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the Euros.
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Grealish admitted: "Last year, the whole year itself, it was weird because my little daughter was born, but apart from that it was one of the most difficult years.
"Probably the most difficult year of my life for many reasons, on and off the pitch.
"I found it really difficult. It’s a New Year now, and hopefully I can kick on from here.”
This campaign he has mainly watched proceedings from the dugout, coming on as a substitute nine times in his 15 Premier League appearances.
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Grealish, 29, said: "I feel like in my last few games that I played – against Crystal Palace, Salford and now here – I’m trying to be involved more in goals and assists.
"Listen, I want to start playing more often and have that rhythm.
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"You know the way I was a couple of years ago when I was playing a lot of games in a row.
"I do find it difficult at times to come in and out of games, not really playing. Hopefully I can keep training well and play a few more games."
In the stadium underground car park post-game, Grealish was by far the most popular City player amongst the few Orient fans that were present and he obligingly stopped to talk, sign shirts and pose for selfies.
At times, his display on the pitch had been a frustrating one, because he had a tendency to cut back or inside, rather than try to beat his marker.
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But his ball over the top for De Bruyne to finish was a moment of class that ensured City beat lower-league opposition in the Cup for the 18th time in a row – a tournament record.
Orient had taken the lead through Jamie Donley’s wonder-goal and they were dreaming of a famous upset until the 56th minute when Rico Lewis’s shot deflected off Abdukodir Khusanov’s head for the equaliser.
This was a proper Cup tie – fans came early, some carrying tin-foil FA Cup cut-outs, and provided a cracking atmosphere.
Grealish was in his element, claiming that this type of tight ground brought him “back to my childhood”.
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The pair met as teens in Solihull, West Midlands at secondary school, with Sasha previously saying they have been together since she was 15.
Jack was already on his way to becoming a professional footballer when he met Sasha.
Despite the long-term nature of their relationship, she remained on the sidelines when his career took off.
However, intense interest in Jack's private life came to a head in 2021 when England reached the final of Euro 2020, delayed a year because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Because of their romance, Sasha was cruelly targeted by trolls on TikTok and Instagram, receiving 200 death threats a day from "young girls".
The pair were spotted on holiday together following the tournament and slowly began showing more of their relationship on social media when the vile trolling died down.
In 2022, they celebrated their 10-year anniversary and purchased a seven-bed mansion set in 24 acres worth £5.6 million.
They moved in to the home in late 2023, but Sasha and members of Jack's family were subject to a terrifying robbery while cheering on the Manchester City star during a televised match just after Christmas.
Their latest milestone is Sasha's pregnancy, which they announced on social media on July 7, and the birth of daughter Mila Rose on September 27.
Guardiola knows Grealish has had to be patient and bide his time but told him to keep fighting and battling for his first-team spot.
The Spanish boss said: "I’m really pleased for Jack. Jack has this sense of being a player of the street.
"Today most of the players are, for the manager, so academic – you have to do this, you have to do that.
"Jack is from…you know, to fight, in the stadiums when the people shout. He’s a fighter.
"I want much more. This is the level I’d like to see from Jack. But it hasn’t been like that.
"Clubs bring new players in every season.
"I don’t have the same squad as when I arrived nine years ago or when we won the Treble or Quadruple or the 100 points.
"We have four, five, six players, not more than that. It’s normal. Players have to understand that.
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"No new contract makes a player better. It’s the competition in the locker room and on the pitch that makes the players better. They have to feel that.
"It’s okay. Accept the challenge, prove you’re the best. Today I saw that glimpse: ‘I want to rebel, I want to show the manager how wrong he is.’"
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