Manchester City's Jack Grealish gestures to the crowd after the Premier League match at Aston Villa.
Jack Grealish gestures to his old fans at Villa Park.
Jack Grealish showed just how his priorities have changed in the three seasons since he quit his boyhood club to join Manchester City after Aston Villa’s victory over the champions.
The road to the Etihad has been lined with a king’s ransom in silverware for the former Villa captain, but on Saturday it was made abundantly clear that he is now just another former player to a significant section of the Villa fanbase - and therefore fare game when his new club are getting a pasting at the hands of his old one.
Boos rang out around the ground that Grealish once graced in the claret and blue as he and Villa defender Matty Cash engaged in a particularly aggressive battle. It prompted the lad from Barnt Green to raise three fingers to his old fans, signifying the Premier League titles he has won since leaving for the Etihad.
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At the direction of City boss Pep Guardiola, he had also made a point of going over to the travelling City fans in the away end at Villa Park after the final whistle, even handing over his shirt to one of them.
Villa reporter John Townley had his own take on Grealish, his reception at Villa Park - and the academy graduate’s reaction.
He said: “If Grealish was responding to a Villa fan, as has been suggested, then he’ll probably regret his decision to bite back at whatever criticism was aimed at him.
“He’s a professional and City players will be embarrassed by their recent form, but equally, Jack wouldn’t have woken up today planning to stir anything up against fans who once adored him.
“No footballer should be subjected to abuse because they’re literally doing their job. However it comes with the territory that players will get stick, and usually Jack deals with that well. If anything, he thrived on it wearing claret and blue. You’d just hope that whatever was aimed at him at Villa Park didn’t cross a line.
“Without the full context it’s hard to judge the situation, but what we have got is a picture of boyhood Villa fan Grealish making a gesture back at supporters alluding to the fact he’s won three Premier League titles with City. It’s not AI and this picture will be going nowhere.
“Whether Jack one day returns to the club or not, it will be there for good and therefore that’s a stain.
Many fans got over him leaving for City back in the summer of 2021, but that picture will do him no favours winning back a certain section of supporters.”
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