MANCHESTER CITY star Jack Grealish is relishing being England’s “poster boy”, admitting you “have to embrace it”.
The £100million man capped off the season with a Premier League winner’s medal, beating former side Aston Villa on a nailbiting final day.
Grealish is relishing being England’s ‘poster boy’ Credit: GETTY
The £100m man says Southgate has England playing as a team Credit: PA
England will play four Nations League fixtures this month Credit: REUTERS
Grealish has also hit back at critics who have taken aim at his post-Prem celebrations Credit: PA But now Grealish has set his sights on helping lead Gareth Southgate’s youthful England side to Nations League and potentially World Cup glory.
The Three Lions are scheduled to play FOUR Nations League fixtures this month against Hungary, Italy and Germany.
Grealish insists he enjoys being in the spotlight and has learned to “embrace it”.
He told Mirror Football: “It’s fine (being England’s poster boy). It is what it is.
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French Open 2022 betting offers and free bets – Sign up deals for tennis major “If that’s what people think, that’s fine. I think it’s a good thing to have — and you just have to embrace it.
“I try not to let anything get to my head.
“It’s all about enjoying it, as long as I’m enjoying myself, playing football and enjoying life off the pitch even, then I will perform well.
“Fingers crossed I can do that over the few weeks and few games.”
Grealish’s stats in City’s Prem title-winning season .css-qu9fel{border-top:1px solid #dcdddd;}.css-b9nmbi{margin-bottom:16px;border-top:1px solid #dcdddd;}
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Grealish has also taken a swipe at the critics who hit out at his post-Prem celebrations.
The City ace celebrated with his team-mates before jetting off to Ibiza for a break.
He continued: “I’m doing what I have loved doing my whole life.
“I’m the most expensive British player but I’m also the Jack from Solihull who my friends and family know. I’ll never let that leave me, no matter what anyone says.
“I know people were saying last week: ‘Oh, he’s doing too much’. But what? I’ve just won the Premier League. It’s a dream come true.
“Why can’t I go on holiday? There’s people that are at England with me now who went to Vegas, Ibiza, Marbella, all these places.
“No one said a word, but because it was me, people were saying things. I love coming here, I love training, playing with the lads.”
Grealish has also attributed England’s success to manager Southgate, who has got the group playing as a team.
England are hoping to build on their appearances in the 2018 World Cup semis and Euros final with the 2022 Qatar World Cup coming up later this year.
Grealish said on the England set-up: “It’s such a good bunch. We always look forward to playing with each other.
“That’s one thing that Gareth has done, he’s made this a team. Somewhere where you enjoy coming to play.
“I’ve heard people say in the past that they didn’t enjoy coming to play for England, like 10-15 years ago.
“But credit to the manager he’s made it a place where everyone wants to come.
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I was a Morrisons ‘yellow sticker man’ – how to get the best deals every time “Southgate has done a brilliant job here. It’s not how it used to be.
“We are all friends. We know when we come here we have a job to do together even if we might be rivals on a Saturday, we know we have a job to do here – we are going to try and do that.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk