Jack Grealish scored his first goal in well over a year as Man City downed Leicester before the playmaker paid tribute to his late brother on the anniversary of his death
Comments
Sport
Updated 07:19, 03 Apr 2025
Jack Grealish held back the tears as he paid tribute to his brother
Jack Grealish held back the tears as he paid tribute to his brother
(Image: Sky Sports)
Jack Grealish cut an emotional figure after the Manchester City star dedicated his goal against Leicester to his brother on the anniversary of his death. It is 25 years since his sibling passed and the winger was keen to mark the occasion.
Grealish was handed a rare start and didn't need long against the Foxes to mark the occasion as he set Pep Guardiola's side on their way to three points. His strike came less than five minutes in, ending a goal drought that has lasted well over 12 months.
Article continues below
The £100million man knew his goal would be the talking point but when discussing the occasion he began welling up and made it known that Wednesday marked the anniversary of his brother's passing. Grealish was four years of age when brother Keelan died in April 2000, aged just nine months due to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
He said: "My little brother passed away 25 years ago today. This day is hard on the family. My mum and dad were here, so to score and to win was brilliant."
READ MORE: Jack Grealish sends Man City transfer message after first league goal in 16 monthsREAD MORE: Manchester United could miss out on £40m summer transfer due to secret clause
Guardiola said he was unaware of the anniversary but paid tribute to Grealish's compassionate nature. The 29-year-old has a sister, Holly, who has cerebral palsy.
"Jack is an incredible human being," said the City boss. "He is incredibly generous. I didn't know that and I can't imagine how tough it can be with mum and dad and sister. It is good they remember him, this day. I am sure they remember him every single day. But it is good to score."
The win furthers City's push for the top four, which Guardiola has made clear is now their priority following a difficult season that has left qualification for next year's Champions League in doubt. They now sit fourth but with a number of teams hot on their heels with eight games left.
The Man City star hadn't scored for 16 months
The Man City star hadn't scored for 16 months
Grealish's goal was followed by one for Omar Marmoush but the former Aston Villa man knew his strike would be the headline maker, but insisted being prolific has never been a major part of his game.
"As soon as i scored this would be what people say. This season I've obviously not been at my best," he said. "This season when I've played - I've not stated in the Premier League since before Christmas - but happy to play and happy to score.
Quizzed on whether he felt relief by scoring he added: "A little bit but I know myself that I could score more, but I know a give a lot more than just scoring. I think my highest ever tally for goals in a season is eight so I don't think I was ever bought here to score 20 goals a season, I've never been one of these people who score constantly but I feel a give a lot more to the team."
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.