Today we celebrate the 25th birthday of Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish by taking a brief look back on the player’s career story.
After establishing himself in the Championship by playing a vital role in Aston Villa’s top-flight promotion, Grealish announced himself in style at last season’s Premier League.
He delivered consistently strong performances for the struggling Villans, impressing with his press-resistance and dribbling ability. It ultimately played a big part in the club avoiding relegation.
The midfielder’s rise to prominence has left him on the cusp of great things, prompting interest from Manchester United and his debut for England.
A steady start to the top
Born on 10th September 1995 in Birmingham, Grealish joined Aston Villa at the mere age of six. Aside from a brief loan stint at Notts County, he has spent the bulk of his career at Villa Park.
The Englishman is a product of the club’s academy, having climbed all the way up from youth level to the senior squad. He even made the bench in March 2012 at just 16 in a 4-2 Premier League loss to Chelsea. A lack of chances, however, led to a loan move to League One side Notts County in 2013/14.
Grealish ultimately impressed in the English third-tier division, with the then-teenager supplying five goals and seven assists in 37 outings. It led to a first-team debut with Villa in May 2014 as an 88th-minute substitute in a 4-0 defeat to Manchester City.
But while Grealish stayed put at Villa Park for 2014/15, chances were irregular at the beginning. It wasn’t until he made his first start in January 2015 when things really took off. That was when Villa defeated Blackpool 1-0 in an FA Cup third-round win tie; beginning a remarkable run to the final itself.
Further opportunities steadily came the midfielder’s way as he began to establish himself. He was particularly impressive in the FA Cup, playing a role in both Villa’s goals to seal a comeback 2-1 win over Liverpool in the semi-finals.
Although Jack was powerless to prevent the club from losing 4-0 to Arsenal in the final itself at Wembley.
The highs and lows of stardom
His exploits in 2014/15, though, introduced him to the highs and lows of stardom for the following season. While he had established himself as a Premier League player, life under the spotlight left him vulnerable for criticism.
A string of incidents, such as being pictured inhaling nitrous oxide and partying hard, led to public scrutiny. Villa, meanwhile, were relegated from the Premier League in 2015/16, with Grealish losing all 16 games he played in.
Things gradually picked up, however, for Grealish in the Championship. He left the past where it belonged and soon embarked on a strong run of form that led to Villa winning promotion back to the Premier League in 2018/19.
The Birmingham-born star won the club’s captaincy and hasn’t looked back since, establishing himself as one of England’s most exciting midfielders with a club-best eight goals in the 2019/20 Premier League.
Now 25, Grealish will hope to continue his sublime progress after recently making his debut for the English national team in a 0-0 draw against Denmark on Tuesday night.
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