Jack Grealish has picked up a reputation as a player who goes to ground easily, with Roy Keane once comparing him to Olympic diver Tom Daley, and Alexis Mac Allister has claimed players "feel like kicking him"
Jack Grealish
Alexis Mac Allister has hit out at Jack Grealish for his antics on the pitch
(Image: Ben Roberts - Danehouse/Getty Images)
Liverpool star Alexis Mac Allister has named Manchester City's Jack Grealish as the biggest provocateur in the Premier League, admitting players "feel like kicking him". Grealish has been accused of going to ground too easily during more than two decades in the top flight.
The England winger has entertained fans with his flamboyant style of play and ability to run at defenders down the flank. But Mac Allister has been irked by Grealish on the pitch after being asked which player in the Premier League winds him up the most.
He also suggested the 29-year-old often made the most of being fouled, having first faced off against him when he was a Brighton player and Grealish turned out for Villa.
"Grealish - you feel like kicking him," the Argentine said. "But even when you do, he gets right back up. And somehow, that makes you feel like you're winning!"
READ MORE: Jack Grealish AXED from Man City squad as Pep Guardiola points England star to exit door
In 2023, Grealish was compared to Olympic diving star Tom Daley after winning a penalty for City against his former club Villa - but defended the player for being "smart".
"Yeah, you have to give a penalty, it’s just Jack being very smart," Keane told Sky Sports. "We’re saying Jack is more like Tom Daley, but I think it is a penalty, and it’s clever from Jack. He gets his body across and like Gary [Neville] said in commentary, he knows exactly what he’s doing, gave the referee almost no option but to give the penalty."
Mac Allister's comments come at a difficult time for Grealish, who was left out of Manchester City's Club World Cup squad headed to the United States this summer.
Alexis Mac Allister
Mac Allister has claimed players "want to kick" Grealish and suggested he makes the most of fouls
Grealish has fallen down the pecking order under boss Pep Guardiola at the Etihad in the last two seasons since playing a pivotal role in City's historic treble triumph in 2023.
The £100m signing started just 16 games in all competitions last season and only seven times in the Premier League as he scored three goals across the board.
He is now being tipped for an exit from City after his brutal axe as he looks to regain his place in the England squad ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
However, a move could be hard to pull off for most clubs due to Grealish's British-record transfer fee plus his eye-watering wages of £300,000-a-week, which means a loan deal might be his best option of getting game time.
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