JACK GREALISH faces a crucial summer as he fights to get his career back on track.
The £100million ace has fallen out of favor for England and Manchester City over the past 12 months.
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And he must fight to regain Pep Guardiola’s full trust when he returns to training at the Etihad next month.
Grealish, 28, will be one of a handful of first-team players taking part in City’s pre-season tour of the USA at the end of July.
This gives him the chance to prove to his coach that he still has the mentality and desire to win for the champions.
However, it may not be that simple for the former Aston Villa captain, who faces even more competition for his place.
City are likely to take Brazilian winger sensation Sávio – who has received rave reviews at sister club Girona this season – to the United States with them.
His transfer to City is expected to be approved in the coming weeks and manager Guardiola wants to take a good look at him in pre-season.
The 20-year-old prefers to play on the left wing and come in like Grealish.
But it was also in this position that Jeremy Doku shone in the final weeks of the season.
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The Belgian’s good form was part of the reason why Grealish played just ten minutes in City’s final five crucial games of the season.
And to make it even more alarming, the minutes he got were when his team beat Wolves 5-1.
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City have no plans to cash in on him, so unless he wants a fresh start and a sizeable offer arrives, he will be at the Etihad next season.
Guardiola remains a big fan of Grealish, but there are doubts as to whether he has the attitude and desire that the Catalan requires.
Grealish admitted he has “struggled” off the field at times this season after winning his third Prem title medal last month.
He found it difficult to motivate himself after last season’s Treble and battled numerous injuries in a frustrating and disrupted season.
There is also the feeling that Grealish is a free spirit and that the discipline and structure of a Guardiola team does not suit him.
His lack of minutes undoubtedly contributed to manager Gareth Southgate’s decision to leave him out of the Euro 2024 squad.
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Grealish is said to be devastated and there will be a lot to reflect on as he goes on holiday.
A year ago this weekend, City completed the treble as they ended their long wait for the Champions League title in Istanbul.
Grealish was at the center of it all – playing the entire match against Inter, just as he did in the FA Cup final seven days earlier. He was also at the center of the celebrations – leading his teammates on a one-night trip to Ibiza.
So Grealish made the most of the victory parade, turning heads in that iconic photo on the back of the bus.
How different it was this year, when Doku recreated that pose – while Grealish was filmed almost falling off the bus.
Now he also got off the plane to Germany.
Southgate’s men hope to play in the final in Berlin on July 14.
Around the same time, Grealish will return to City training with just a few other starters.
Pre-season is a chance to mark the new season and, after a difficult few weeks, he needs to take advantage of it.
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What Southgate said about sacked England stars
WHAT Gareth Southgate said about his sacked England stars after confirming his 26-man England squad for Euro 2024.
Harry Maguire
“The decision about Harry [Maguire] It’s completely about your physical condition and your recovery from the injury. There is no other reason, as he is one of our strongest central defenders.
“Harry has made some progress, but it has been difficult and we wouldn’t have had him in the group stage. There were many obstacles to overcome without knowing where we could get to.
“Knowing that we don’t have a clean bill of health in the rest of the defense, we need players who are fit and ready to play from the start.
“It was a very difficult decision, you know how I feel about Harry, what he did for England and for me as a manager.”
Jack Grealish
“I just had a very difficult conversation with a guy who is devastated.
“I think his world was a child. “It certainly doesn’t get any easier.
“You put yourself in the shoes of a player, a father. You understand that for these players this is a devastating time.
“We knew we had some really tough days ahead.”
James Madison
“Madders [Maddison] and Jack [Grealish] It would also have given us something different and they were difficult decisions.
“These are calls that we have repeated over and over again as a group of employees to try to be fair and try to use the right reasoning.
“We support our decisions, but recognize that we could have followed a different path. The boys are great characters, fabulous teammates and great guys to work with.
“It’s sad to have to break this news to them.”
Jarrad Branthwaite
“It’s a little early for Jarrad [Branthwaite]. He had a fabulous season, it was good to get him on the field that night.
“But of course, in an ideal world, we would like to have that left-handed balance. For him to be ahead of the others, I don’t think it would have been the right decision at this stage.”
Jarell Quansah
“Jarell Quansah stayed with us. He hasn’t had the experience of an England international at Wembley. It will be great for him to be with us in the game.
“I hope we don’t have to call anyone else.”
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