Garry Thompson: Aston Villa skipper Jack Grealish has to learn
Garry Thompson has warned Jack Grealish he must prove he has finally learned his lesson after the Villa skipper sparked fury by breaching the government’s coronavirus guidelines.
Former Holte End hero Thompson believes Grealish has likely harmed his England chances after being caught out socialising last weekend, just hours after urging fans to stay home and protect the NHS.
Grealish was photographed close to his Range Rover after it had crashed into two parked vehicles near to a flat belonging to former Villa team-mate Ross McCormack in the Dickens Heath area of Solihull.
The 24-year-old was later fined two weeks’ wages and admitted ‘deep embarrassment’ at an incident which damaged a reputation he had worked steadily to rebuild, after his early career was blighted by off-field indiscretions.
Grealish had been enjoying an excellent season for Villa prior to the season being suspended and appeared on the brink of a first senior Three Lions call-up.
Thompson said: “The frustrating thing is Jack had worked doubly hard to get back into the picture and to a point where (England boss) Gareth Southgate was ready to select him – then this happens.
“You can never give people the excuse to leave you out. If the penny had not dropped before, then it needs to drop now.
“It was a stupid thing to do and you can’t defend it. Jack is Villa’s captain and he needs to learn the lesson. We all know he is better than this, but he has to prove to people he is better than this.”
Grealish has been Villa’s standout performer since being handed the captain’s armband by boss Dean Smith last March, leading the club to promotion through the play-offs and then impressing in the Premier League.
Thompson continued: “For more than two years he has been magnificent. He’s almost carried the club at times.
“He’s the best player I have seen at Villa in a long, long time and he’s worked hard to get to this point too.
“Everyone deserves a second chance but this needs to be a turning point because ultimately people will start to run out of patience.
“Jack has the potential to become one of the very best and now you are looking at him thinking: ‘Don’t blow it!’
“It takes years to build a reputation but only a few minutes to ruin it.”
