Speaking to AVTV, Dean Smith has insisted that Jack Grealish will not be going anywhere after he received praise from Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Grealish was labelled as the ‘best player on the pitch’ by the United man after Villa recorded a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford on Sunday, as quoted by The Birmingham Mail.
The 24-year-old scored a stunning opener in the first-half when his curling effort from just outside of the area found the back of the net.
(Photo by Steve Bardens/Getty Images)
Speaking ahead of Villa’s trip to Chelsea on Wednesday night, Smith was asked about what he thought about Solskjaer’s praise of the highly-rated playmaker.
“I’d certainly say it if I saw an opposition player who was running the game and for 30 minutes, I thought Jack was,” Smith told AVTV. “I’ve seen the speculation in the press and pundits linking Jack with other clubs saying he could possibly go.
“What they don’t realise I have worked with the kid for 14 months and he tells the story himself about jumping into his bush in his back garden at six-years-old and pretending its the Holte End. He’s Villa through and through. He’s now performing on the biggest stage you can and in the Premier League for Aston Villa.
“He’s playing well, scoring goals, creating assists and it’s a club he loves. He signed a new contract at the start of last season and we have two very wealthy owners who want to build a team around the likes of Jack. They can keep linking him with other football clubs but this is the one football club that he loves and that’s the important thing.”
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Last season, Grealish was regarded as one of the best players in the Championship and it is that tag that helped Villa earn promotion to the Premier League because he backed it up on the pitch.
After a slow start to the season, Grealish’s form has picked up and he is now showcasing the talent that everyone knows he has in his locker.
Smith’s decision to move him from the number eight position in the middle of the park to a wide midfield role on the left-hand side has worked wonders for the player and the team.
He is being more of a threat, winning more fouls and causing more havoc for the opposition, all much higher up the pitch and where Villa want him to be.