David Moyes, Manager of Everton, celebrates following the team's victory in the Premier League match between Everton and Brighton & Hove Albion at Hill Dickinson Stadium on August 24, 2025 in Liverpool, England.placeholder image
David Moyes, Manager of Everton, celebrates following the team's victory in the Premier League match between Everton and Brighton & Hove Albion at Hill Dickinson Stadium on August 24, 2025 in Liverpool, England. | Getty Images
Jack Grealish seemed like an expensive gamble when Everton signed him but the maverick is already proving the doubters wrong.
There will be a lot of people deleting social media posts about Everton’s decision to sign Jack Grealish in what could turn out to be a masterstroke by David Moyes.
Out of sorts and out of form, it looked like Pep Guardiola had coached the best qualities out of the maverick playmaker only for the Toffees boss to work his magic once again and set the likeable Brummie free. That there seems a genuine attempt to bring a different style of football to the Hill Dickinson Stadium to what was seen in recent years at Goodison Park hasn’t gone a miss. Moyes has signed Grealish on loan and has now added a similar type of player for the other side in Tyler Dibling to bring a touch of flair to his starting XI.
Theo Walcott has high hopes for Jack Grealish at Everton
Grealish has always been a player who played with a smile on his face and it looks like a change of scenery has rekindled that joy with Everton getting a player who could be motivated by more than just playing regularly again according to Theo Walcott on the BBC Football Daily podcast when asked if he was pleased to see the 29-year old with his swagger back: “It did. I mean, even when you started that conversation about Jack Grealish and I smiled because we all want to see Jack Grealish playing with a smile. That's when he plays with that freedom and that energy.
“And I do feel like it was when he got this move, I thought this is perfect. And this is a player aiming for the World Cup. He's probably taking the pay cut. He's probably thought of it this side and just thought, do you know what? I don't need this. It's all about football for me. And he is about football. And for me, that is him in a nutshell. You have to allow him to express himself. And I think David Moyes will. I think he'll have that. He's going to have to if Everton are going to climb up a table. And the stadium that they have, they want to attract these players. And he's a player that will attract players to that football club. And it's just one of those as well.
“It's where is his best position still, like on the left or number 10. And I think it's really clear to say he wants to play on the left hand side. But there's so many choices for that. But I just think we just want to play as footballer, be in the right frame of mind as well. I think when you have kids, your whole mindset changes completely. I think we'll see a different side, maybe more mature personality on the field and off the field from Jack Grealish. But look, he's a bag full of energy and he will just light up that place away from the club as well.
“He'd be great in that dressing room. Of course, it was really important how Jordan Pickford got into the football club as well. I know that for a fact, he's just really played his role in that. So I think he's in the right environment to him to express himself. And that's what we want him to do. We just want him to express himself and enjoy these final years, of course. So going into the World Cup is good for England football as well.”
Can Grealish make the England squad and displace former teammate?
With England not really firing on all cylinders, there are spaces up for grabs in Thomas Tuchel’s squad with the irony being that he could well take former teammate Phil Foden’s place if the current situation becomes the norm throughout the season. Especially in tournament football, having a player who can pick a pass or create something out of nothing can be the difference between winning and losing and Grealish is at a good age to appreciate that this might be his last shot at World Cup glory.
England are blessed with a strong core of creative players and like-minded playmakers competing for the same places but Everton’s new talisman is different. Despite years of external doubt and criticism, he still has a Champions League winner’s medal in his back pocket as well as a treble to his name.
If he maintains his current form and gets anywhere near to the sort of level that persuaded Guardiola to part with £100m for his services then both Everton and England will be better off with him in their starting XIs.
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