Pep Guardiola longed to see Jack Grealish return to being the player he was when he helped Manchester City sweep to the treble. He waited and waited, and now has finally got his wish, albeit not in the way he would have hoped. Grealish feels like a brand new player away from City on loan at Everton, even more influential than in 2023, a talisman for his new club rather than just one of many stars.
Grealish will be limited to the role of spectator when Everton visit City on Saturday, but he will be fondly welcomed back by the Etihad Stadium faithful, who loved him for his happy persona and the way he revelled in the club's many triumphs. Grealish reached cult hero status when he became the focal point of the debauched treble celebrations, from blasting out music in the Ataturk Stadium in Istanbul, continuing the party in Ibiza and then taking things to a whole new level during the parade back in Manchester.
For Guardiola, though, Grealish was never quite the same player as in that season, his second after joining in Premier League record, £100 million move from Aston Villa. After curbing his usual sensibilities to suit Guardiola's demands, becoming a ball-hogging tactical chess piece known among team-mates and staff as a 'rest station' as he allowed others to take a breather while he kept possession or drew fouls, City signed Jeremy Doku to compete with Grealish.
Phil Foden, who had been injured or ill for key chunks of the treble season, was another player who competed with Grealish for a place in City's midfield, and his role in the team subsequently faded amid a number of niggling injuries. At the end of a disappointing 2023-24 campaign for Grealish - but a record-breaking, fourth-successive title for City - Guardiola vowed: "He will be back. He’s struggled this season. Jeremy has made an incredible step forward as everyone has seen in the last games, but Jack will be back at the level of last season – I’m pretty sure."
Guardiola was not correct. Having made 10 Premier League starts the previous season and contributed to four goals, Grealish made only seven starts while scoring once and assisting once in the Premier League. Amid increased competition from Savinho and Omar Marmoush, Grealish was an unused substitute in the FA Cup final despite City chasing the game against Crystal Palace.
Halfway through the season, Guardiola admitted that he had effectively given up on Grealish: "Do I want the Jack that won the treble? Yeah I want it, but I try to be honest with myself for that." Grealish, however, is that player once more - he just had to leave City and Guardiola behind to rediscover himself.