Thomas Tuchel has opened up on his decision to leave Jack Grealish out of his latest England squad for this month's international break
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Jack Grealish
Jack Grealish has missed out on an England call-up(Image: Getty Images)
Jack Grealish has admitted that his current form isn't good enough to justify an England call-up.
England boss Thomas Tuchel revealed he has spoken to the Manchester City star, who described his season as "stop-start" and acknowledged his form has been inconsistent. "I love Jack. As a headline, I love Jack.
"I love everything about him. I love his personality, I love his quality," he said.
Tuchel also mentioned that Grealish's ability to perform under pressure, his courage, and his resilience in the face of criticism were admirable, citing his ability to handle the intense atmosphere at the Bernabeu. "The guy has courage, he can take the heat, he's not afraid of the Bernabeu whistles when he's on the ball, it does not affect him and if it affects him only in the best way," Tuchel added.
"So is he a player that should be available and can have an impact in our squad? Yes, 100 per cent.
"But lately, he simply has no rhythm and he himself and I agree 100 per cent with this. He said 'listen Thomas, I'm not a start-stop player. It is so hard for me to influence a match from the bench and then be on the bench again, and then two weeks later I start again.'
"But this comes also with responsibility off the pitch and, of course, it's not ideal that he's in the newspapers and out there in public. But it was a sporting choice and in his position Anthony Gordon is just more rhythm, more minutes."
At 29, Grealish has earned 39 caps but has seen his place at City slip away despite playing a significant role during interim boss Lee Carsley's short tenure as England caretaker.