‘I’d just had the most successful season. Why not enjoy myself?’
It is just before midnight in Manchester, about the time when Jack Grealish would normally be winding up for the night if you were to believe the thousands of memes spawned by his legendary post-Treble drinking session.
But deep in the bowels of Old Trafford, a couple of hours after a suitably sprightly second-half cameo for England, itās a very different Grealish who presents for his final interview of a marathon season that started in the sunshine of July last year.
A week on from open topped buses and tops off in the rain, heās had time to reflect on the enormity of a life-changing season and what he calls several times āthe best weekend of my lifeā. And when you listen to him talk itās clear: thereās much more to Englandās most expensive footballer than the caricature.
Heās happy to admit he cried on the pitch in Istanbul and was in floods of tears when he hugged his dad Kevin, sister Kiera and mum Karen in the stands at full-time. What was going through his mind? The sacrifices theyād all made to get him to this point, he says, the emotion, time and resources invested in their oldest boy.
āBehind closed doors Iām quite an emotional person,ā he admits, halfway through this huddle with journalists.
And you get the feeling this has been a bit of a strange week for Grealish, who admits he joined up for England hungover after 48 sleepless hours that saw him and his Manchester City teammates cross the Continent celebrating their Champions League win.
āMy emotions have been so high,ā he says.
āWhen I was sitting in the [England] camp on Thursdayā¦ it was the biggest high Iād ever been on in my life the weekend. You come into camp and you sit there on your own in your room and you think about everything and think āWill I ever feel that high again?’ā
You sense heās still coming to terms with the transformation from a year ago when he was something of a bit-part player at the Etihad, still to convince Pep Guardiola he could deliver. Now heās the main man, trusted by the best manager of his generation on the biggest stage.
āLast year I was sitting there and thinking, well not āHave I made the right decisionā but I hadnāt had much game time, was I ever going to be a starter?
āAnd then I came back from the World Cup, I got into the team and suddenly Iām one of the main players [for Man City] and we go and win the treble.
āIt was so emotional. But it was good emotion, if that makes sense.ā
The long weekend went from high spirits to pure spirits as a well-lubricated Grealish celebrated his success lustily.
In some circles thereās been tutting about his refreshment habits and more sober judges have warned him about the dangers of being seen to go too far. At one point last Monday Kalvin Phillips was pouring neat vodka down his throat on stage as Grealish, clad in a hi-viz jacket, proclaimed āthe turkey is thirstyā. It created plenty of column inches.
Grealish is unapologetic, pointing out others were doing the same or worse away from the cameras. He pointedly notes there are some players who proclaim themselves tee-total in public when the reality is different.
āThatās just the way I am. Iām like that when I party usually,ā he says.
āWell Iām not quite like that usually. Look, weāve won the Treble and itās something that will never happen again so I went and enjoyed myself.
āIām not the only one, I think a lot of the time youāll see everyone recording me. I could show you other stuff from other peopleā¦.
āListen, we all enjoyed ourselves. Some people enjoyed themselves where cameras were, that was just me enjoying myself. Iād had the most successful season of my life.
āI donāt think it is a party boy thing. I would never sit here and lie to you and say āYeah, I donāt drink and I donāt partyā because I do. But then thereās so many people that will come here and say to you āI donāt do this, I donāt do thatā when they do.
āItās 19 June now, I came in for pre-season training on 3 July. Years ago youād have a season for nine months, Iāve just had a 12-month season, Iāve been to a World Cup, Iāve won three trophies and Iāll be back training in four weeks. So why not enjoy myself?ā
Judging by the cheers that greeted his entrance at Old Trafford on Monday it has certainly done little to dampen enthusiasm for this modern day maverick. His relatability is part of his charm, fans feel heās one of us but with extraordinary talent.
In truth heās not yet transferred that rich promise into a string of performances in an England shirt. For a long time there was a suspicion that Gareth Southgate wasnāt sold on him and while some of that scepticism has melted, it was Marcus Rashford who got the nod on Monday.
Did Grealish take offence to Southgateās observation, delivered with a wry smile, that āthere is a lineā when it comes to toasting your achievements.
āI donāt know what you guys think or write but I have a great relationship with him. A brilliant relationship,ā Grealish says. He is such an open book you donāt doubt him.
āI kind of knew in the back of my head I wouldnāt play on Friday but even so I came into camp on Tuesday night. I was obviously a bit hungover but I wasnāt drunk or anything. I trained on Thursday.
āI knew I wasnāt going to play on the Friday and then on Saturday I trained well.
āI knew it was going to be a toss-up who played, it could have been any of us, me, Phil [Foden] or Rashy. Obviously it was Rashy and you canāt complain, heās one of the most in-form players in the world and I thought on Monday he was absolutely unbelievable. He was so good.
āSaks obviously scored the three goals but Rashy in the first half was just frightening. I came on and Iām just happy, Iāve had a brilliant season, the most succesful season of my life and I think thereās a time now where I can just sit and relax and probably take it all in.ā
Then heās back in a month, new frontiers to conquer with club and country. For now at least, let the good times roll.
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