At the Etihad Stadium, veteran England player Jack Grealish initially found it difficult to justify that high price.
Jack Grealish has identified the specific time after his then-British record £100 million transfer to Manchester City when he first felt like he had Pep Guardiola’s trust.
The 28-year-old England regular struggled at first to make an impact for the Premier League champions as he adapted to his new surroundings and Guardiola’s system.
After taking some time, however, the former captain of Aston Villa played outstandingly in the final weeks of the previous season as City won an unprecedented treble.
Grealish believes the turning point occurred following the mid-season World Cup, when he and the Three Lions were humiliated by France in the quarterfinals.
The 20-cap forward scored four goals and contributed seven times in 20 games after his return.
In the FA Cup and Champions League championship games, respectively, he played 89 and 90 minutes.
Before the club’s third consecutive championship was officially sealed, Grealish also started 15 straight Premier League games.
The popular playmaker talked extensively about his career to date at the Etihad Stadium and beyond during his most recent appearance on the club’s podcast.
He also detailed the precise moment when he first felt as though he had Guardiola’s unwavering trust.
Grealish declared: “I want to feel loved.
I’m a big believer in myself.
“My first game after returning from the World Cup was against Leeds, and I should have scored at least two goals in the first half.
At halftime, I was thinking about that.
But in the second half, I gave Erling two assists.”.
Grealish continued, “A week later, I was on the bench at Chelsea as Riyad [Mahrez] and I both entered the game at the same time and I assisted him again on his goal.
I just felt like I started getting more goal involvements after that.
“I thought I was performing well for myself, too, and the manager was selecting me for important matches, such as for Arsenal in the FA Cup and Arsenal in the Premier League, Tottenham, and so forth.
Not because he said it, but rather because he was playing me in all those important games, I felt Pep’s love.
It’s acceptable for the manager to tell you that you are so vital to the team while still passing you over.
You would then consider, “Yeah, you’re just saying that.”. Pep didn’t say anything at all, but the fact that he chose me for the important matches was enough to convey everything.”.
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