Man City star urged to join Premier League rivals despite ‘sick to his stomach’ rant
Man City winger Jack Grealish has been told to leave the Premier League champions and join boyhood club Aston Villa by Lee Hendrie.
Grealish swapped Aston Villa for Man City in the summer of 2021 for £100m after impressing for two seasons in a row in the Premier League.
The England international has won three Premier League titles during his time at the Etihad Stadium with the Citizens also winning a Treble, including the FA Cup and Champions League in 2023.
However, his performances over the last season or two have been disappointing with Pep Guardiola with Grealish only afforded 16 Premier League starts over the last 18 months.
Grealish was heckled and booed on his latest return to Villa Park earlier this month as Man City lost 2-1 against the Villans with the winger holding up three fingers to the crowd on his way off the pitch, presumably signifying the amount of titles he’s won since leaving.
But former Liverpool and Man Utd striker Michael Owen was disgusted by the booing and heckling suffered by Grealish last weekend and insisted it made him “sick to his stomach”.
But former Aston Villa midfielder Hendrie reckons that Grealish should leave Man City and think about returning to Aston Villa.
Hendrie told 10bet: “It’s at the stage now where Jack should probably be thinking about leaving the football club.
“Nobody could deny that the move hasn’t been successful, he’s won everything there is to win during his time there, but I think for himself, he needs to find his enjoyment in playing again.
“He’d be an asset for any top football club. I would love him at Villa, but would they have the finances to bring him back? It would probably be a complicated deal to complete.
“I know the Villa fans have given him some stick, but I think they would love to see him back at Villa Park. He wouldn’t be coming for a pay day; he’d be coming to win something with Villa and help take the club up a level.
“It would be brilliant if he came back. I do feel he has to go and leave Man City at the moment to find some enjoyment in his game.”
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Hendrie added: “I’d love to see Jack Grealish back at Aston Villa. Grealish is Villa through and through.
“I remember speaking to him when he signed for City, I was commentating on one of their games, and we had an in-depth chat, and he was saying he’s finding it difficult to adapt to new surroundings.
“I said to him, get on with it and go on and enjoy your football. It’s your time to go on and win trophies, and that is exactly what he’s done.
“He’s such a fantastic person; he’s got a massive heart. I don’t think that we’ve seen the best version of Grealish at City, or the version that steps out onto the grass and enjoys himself.
“We’ve only seen snippets, but I think that Jack is essentially playing in a way that his manager demands of him.
“When I watch Jack play for England, it’s like he’s a different person. He plays with a lot more freedom.
“If you’re looking at his contributions, goals and assists, then you can say that it’s been disappointing for him, but we know he’s got stacks of ability, and we know he can contribute a lot more.”
