HE is one of our favourite footballing sons, whose antics off the pitch are almost as famous as his skills on it.
But now Jack Grealish is set to ditch his party-boy lifestyle for parenthood.
The Manchester City winger and his childhood sweetheart Sasha Attwood, both 28, revealed on Sunday night that she is pregnant with their first nipper — to the delight of their millions of fans.
Sharing the news on Instagram, proud Jack posted a snap of Sasha’s bump with the couple’s hands on it and wrote: “Life’s biggest blessing.”
Uploading the same image, Sasha said: “Half of me, half of you — beyond blessed.”
The couple’s baby joy comes on the back of a tough year for Jack, which saw him snubbed from England boss Gareth Southgate’s final 26-man Euros squad.
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‘Loving life’
He had struggled to perform for City, with just three goals and three assists in 36 games last season.
But a friend last night said of the pregnancy news: “This is amazing for Jack and Sasha and it will definitely help spur him on with his football.
“There’s no hiding from the fact Jack didn’t play like everyone knows he can last season.
“He’s well aware of that. But he feels like it’s time to write a new chapter in his life with his perfect little family.”
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The pal added: “Jack and Sasha are besotted with each other and couldn’t be more delighted and excited at the thought of raising their own little one together.
“Getting dropped from the England squad broke Jack’s heart.
“He is so proud to represent his country and gives his all every time he pulls on the shirt.
“But the silver lining is that he has at least been able to spend more time with Sasha and be at her beck and call as she carries their child.”
So in the coming months and years we can expect to see a different side to lovable Jack, who was born in Birmingham, raised in nearby Solihull and who has made his name across the globe.
Since bursting on to the scene with a debut for his boyhood club Aston Villa ten years ago, Jack has stolen hearts with his raw personality and genuine connection with supporters.
Unlike most of today’s sports pros, who appear scared to share too much, Jack speaks with searing honesty — whether about his performances on the pitch or the family heartbreak he has suffered away from it.
And he clearly has no qualms about being snapped enjoying himself out on the lash. He has been pictured at Wayne Lineker’s O Beach bar in Ibiza and with a pal steadying him on holiday in Dubai last month.
It is this side of his character that has sometimes landed him in hot water, like when he was snapped bleary-eyed leaving a Las Vegas club with a brunette at 3am in 2022, or when, aged just 19, he was seen passed out on a road in Tenerife.
Jack continued to lead the boozy blowout back home, standing topless on a tram to City’s trophy parade, before having Grey Goose vodka poured down his throat.
But it is also this side to Jack that has endeared him to fans across the football divide — Birmingham City supporters aside — in a way that only a handful of stars, such as Three Lions legend Paul Gascoigne, have done before.
Take, for example, when this sorry journo (a Manchester United fan) was tasked with covering the Champions League final in Istanbul, Turkey, in June last year, where City beat Inter Milan 1-0 to match the Red Devils’ feat of winning that trophy, the Premier League and FA Cup.
The following day, as celebrating players downed bottles of beer after little or no sleep, and made their way on to the City-emblazoned team coach outside their hotel, a head kept poking out of the vehicle’s sunroof.
It was none other than Grealish — who else? — and he was belting out a rap song and shouting, “Woo!” before they set off for home, the famous old “big ears” trophy in their clutches for the first time.
Even as a begrudging rival fan, I couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of a lad who is the same age as me at the pinnacle of his profession and just loving life.
Jack continued to lead the boozy blowout back home, standing topless on a tram to City’s trophy parade, before having Grey Goose vodka poured down his throat by a team-mate while covering up his top half with just a hi-vis jacket.
Along the way, cheering Jack on through the highs and lows, has been model Sasha. The pair began dating when they were 16, having met at St Peter’s Catholic School in Solihull.
They live in a £5.6million Cheshire mansion with their beloved apricot cockapoo Skye, whose fourth birthday they celebrated on Sunday, along with their big pregnancy reveal.
Jack was given Skye as a birthday present by Sasha, and calls her the “world’s best dog”.
The couple enjoy holidays to destinations including Dubai and the South of France when £300,000-a-week Jack has a break from his footie schedule.
‘Deeply in love’
But they were left shaken when their home was targeted in a terrifying midweek raid in December as Jack played against Everton — while Sasha and others were inside.
Despite some bumps along the road, it is clear for all to see that the couple remain deeply in love.
After City’s Champions League final triumph over Inter Milan, Sasha was seen holding the trophy with her man and they shared a kiss on the pitch.
Also there was Jack’s family, who he is incredibly close to. The footie ace — who could have played for Ireland thanks to his grandparents’ roots — is the eldest of five kids.
His sister Hollie, 20, was born with cerebral palsy and he calls her his ‘best friend’.
His dad, Kevin, is a former plasterer and mum Karen is the director of a property management firm.
In 2000, when Jack was four, he tragically lost his brother Keelan to sudden infant death syndrome when he was just nine months old.
The star dedicated his Aston Villa derby goal against Birmingham to his late sibling in 2018.
His sister Hollie, 20, was born with cerebral palsy.
Jack has said of his family life: “My little brother passed away when I was young. My little sister has cerebral palsy. She’s like my best friend.”
Jack also does his bit for charity. He supports Children In Need and last year became an ambassador for Special Olympics GB, saying passionately: “Nobody should be excluded from opportunities, and I can’t stand bullying or discrimination.”
He donated £5,000 to a GoFundMe page for Dylan Lamb, a 20-year-old student given weeks to live after being diagnosed with leukaemia, to help him get medical treatment in America.
In 2022, Jack vowed to do a goal celebration for Finlay Fisher, an 11-year-old fan with cerebral palsy, if he scored at the World Cup in Qatar. Lo and behold, he did — and stayed true to his word, performing the lad’s favourite “worm” dance.
Jack is the David Beckham of his generation, adored by so many and with the footie skills, boyish good looks and mega-money brand deals to boot. Although his monster calves put Becks to shame.
Despite being gutted at missing out on Southgate’s Euros squad, he is first to admit when he has not been up to scratch.
After manager Pep Guardiola’s City won a record fourth Premier League title in a row, Jack said: “I don’t feel like I’ve performed well this season.” But Spanish coach Pep, 53, vowed: “Jack will be back.”
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While getting his career on track again, the footie ace will soon have another mouth to feed.
Best brush up on those dribbling skills!
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
