Pep Guardiola has backed Jack Grealish to return to kind subsequent season following a troublesome 2023/24 marketing campaign.
Grealish joined Manchester Metropolis from Aston Villa again in August 2021 for £100m which, on the time, was the largest switch deal in British soccer historical past.
The winger instantly turned a well-liked determine amongst Metropolis supporters, notching 11 objectives and 15 assists throughout all competitions over his first two seasons with the membership — successful two league titles and the treble in 2022/23.
Nonetheless, this season has confirmed far harder for the 35-time England worldwide, who struggled with a hamstring damage early within the marketing campaign and by no means fairly recovered his kind. Additional health points continued to plague him, at the same time as Metropolis went on to win a fourth straight Premier League title.
Grealish ended 2023/24 with simply three objectives and three assists to his title throughout all competitions, whereas he managed solely 10 begins within the Premier League.
Again in April, Grealish admitted himself that it hasn’t been a terrific 12 months.
“It’s been tough (this season),” he instructed The Athletic. ‘Particularly on the again of final 12 months, I had such an excellent season. I used to be enjoying rather a lot and was one of many important gamers within the workforce and enjoying in all of the essential video games.
“This 12 months at first of the season I had a lifeless leg which stored me out for a month after which I didn’t play too usually. I don’t suppose my kind was the most effective and I wasn’t enjoying with loads of confidence. Within the new 12 months, I had just a few accidents once more as properly with my groin.”
Guardiola backs Grealish resurgence
The unimaginable type of Phil Foden and summer season signing Jeremy Doku hitting the bottom working shortly didn’t assist Grealish’s trigger this season.
Nonetheless, the previous Villa man has been backed by his supervisor, who’s ‘positive’ he’ll rediscover his kind from 2022/23 quickly sufficient.
“He will likely be again,” mentioned Guardiola (by way of BBC Sport).
“He’s struggled this season and Jeremy has made an unimaginable step ahead as everybody has seen within the final video games. However Jack will likely be again on the degree of final season, I’m fairly positive.”
Regardless of his struggles, Grealish has nonetheless made Gareth Southgate’s provisional squad for Euro 2024 and is predicted to make the ultimate lower.
