Surely if Enda Kenny could convince Jack Grealish through intense diplomatic negotiations to ply his international trade in green rather than English white, he would win the next general election by a landslide and water charges would be forgotten about, we now possess the next Messi, Maradona, Zidane rolled into one!! (apologies for excessive sarcasm)
The hyperbole and exaggerated appraisal over young football players can be nauseating and most likely foolish in alot of cases, Jack Grealish has potential, no doubt, and his performance against Liverpool in the FA CUP semi-final at Wembley further showcased that.
I just hope all the pressure, media-attention, and now clamour doesn’t affect him long term and that he gets to enjoy his football (whilst keeping focused) and not let the light fade and dwindle down the alleyways where many a career was lost and forgotten and made us I think “what if?”.
Francis Jeffers, Michael Bridges, Freddy Adu are just a few names that spring to mind, so much potential yet their careers didn’t live up to the varying hype levels. (some unlucky with injuries)
It seems when many are tipped for stardom, that may also be the death knell of an once promising career, money made, “living the dream”, motivational levels drop, failure to improve…..drop down the leagues.
Jack, the young man born and bred in Birmingham, is now being “clamoured” by two nations, must enhance the nineteen year old’s ego.
In the ideal situation, he fulfils his promise, starts every week for Villa and then the “big boys” come chasing, promising champions league football, and a new voyage for the decimal point in a gargantuan bank balance.
If this is the case, he would of course be an amazing addition to the Irish set-up to the envy of the onlookers over the Irish sea, but seeing that he is still so young, perhaps we should not get carried away, and realise that one man isn’t bigger than a team, more especially a country.
Jack will decide who he wants to play for in due course, the media attention on him I believe is justified in some respect in terms of he has a high level of technical ability and intelligence for a player trained and coached in England, his dribbling abilities usually aren’t one of the traditional parts of a footballing armoury of a young Irish/English player. (see what I did there!)
He reminds me of another Jack that plays for Arsenal in his style and technique and untraditional/unorthodox dribbling ability, Mr.Wilshere, who could be a good role model for Grealish in terms of what to avoid and to learn from.
Wilshere has been decimated with injuries but he has also been inconsistent, overtly aggressive at times, and displayed a somewhat “lax” attitude away from the field despite obvious talent and ability.
The Jack of Arsenal may still turn it around and have an amazing career as well might the Jack of Villa in time, if he doesn’t play for Ireland, will it be the end of the world, no, would it be a blow, possibly, let him decide and accept the decision and also accept that he has a long way to go with obvious potential, he could be the one that got away that leads England to a World Cup Triumph (cringes at the thought) or he could suffer injuries and inconsistency…time will tell.
The English point of view from Martin Samuel (not a happy bunny)
