Jack Grealish has opened up about the difficulties of adapting to life at Manchester City and how that affected his performances during his first season at the club.
Grealish joined City from Aston Villa in the summer of 2021 for a British record transfer fee of £100m, but he did not hit the ground running in Manchester as many expected him to.
At Villa Grealish was a dynamic attacker who was regularly among the top scorers and assist-providers in the Premier League, so when he only scored six goals and provide four assists in all competitions last season, many labelled him a failure.
In reality numbers are not everything, and most City fans appreciate that. Pep Guardiola has repeatedly insisted he didn’t sign Grealish to score the number of goals he did at Villa and has praised the aspects of his game that have improved since he moved to the Etihad Stadium.
However, there is a definite sense that he can give more in a sky blue shirt and that the best is still to come. Grealish has admitted that himself, although he has explained why he has not managed to reach his top level so far.
In an interview with L’Equipe, the 27-year-old explained that due to a number of factors it was harder for him to adapt to life at City than he expected.
“I thought it’d be easier [integrating into City’s set-up], that this was just football, after all. In reality I’ve had to adapt to a new club, new manager, new team-mates… I also had to integrate what Pep [Guardiola] was expecting,” he said.
“At Villa, I was in theory playing on the left, but in matches, I was authorised to change position if I felt it necessary. With Pep, it is different. He tells me to feel free, but in a structured shape, with a precise position on the pitch.”
The differences on the pitch have been mirrored in the dressing room too, with Grealish no longer the main man or local hero.
“At Villa I was captain and I’d been there for seven years [in the first-team]. I knew everyone in a club where a majority of English players were playing.
“At City, I arrived in a dressing room with a lot of different cultures and nationality, including the staff and physios. Therefore, I took some time to adapt to this new environment, that I really appreciate.”