Jack Grealish has furiously hit out at an article accusing him of being ‘arrogant’, ‘smug’ and having little class when speaking about his move to Manchester City to Aston Villa in a recent interview.

Grealish departed his boyhood club for a sensational, record-breaking £100million fee this summer, with City having triggered the release clause that was included in his final contract at Villa.

Now on international duty with England, the playmaker opened up on the reasons why the clause was inserted, but his comments irked one Midlands-based reporter, who published an article around his thoughts.

Quizzed on joining City and the £100m fee which saw him make the switch to the Etihad, Grealish told ITV: ‘That’s why we had it put it in.

‘Because I knew if I played to the way that I can, and have a club who knows that they can work with me over the next few years and build me to something that I can go onto to become one of the best in the league, then they’d pay that.

‘And that’s what I think City thought.’

In the article Grealish has taken exception to, the reporter described him as conducting his sit-down with ITV with a ‘real smugness and arrogance’. They also added that it was ‘distasteful’.

Further reflecting on the comments, the author said the Birmingham-born star was ‘unrecognisable’ and believes his words were ‘painful’ and ‘insulting’.

But, taking to Twitter this morning, Grealish has launched a steadfast defence of his own actions and wrote a brief but scathing review of the piece.

‘This is the worst and most one sided article I’ve ever seen,’ he wrote. ‘Classless? Jealous? Couldn’t wait to get out? Arrogance? How exactly?

‘I’ve been a villa (sic) fan my whole life and still am. The thing is you don’t understand what goes on in the real football world.’

There is a frustration felt among Villa supporters that Grealish was ‘hiding’ behind his release clause in the hope of securing a move away.

Parts of the fanbase have also accused their former golden boy of being disrespectful in general when discussing Villa after joining City.

Indeed, the reporter in question said that the vibe he got from the interview was that the player ‘couldn’t wait to get out’ of the club.

Rounding off the editorial, the journalist said the conversation with ITV ‘was a shocker’, and insisted ‘it lacked class’.

Grealish has made three Premier League appearances so far at City, scoring once on his home debut and picking up an assist.

In the same interview, he has said he is happy to handle the pressure of being England’s first ever £100m footballer.

This season, Grealish will play European club football for the first time and has his sights set on becoming a Three Lions regular, and he is content with the burden.

‘I think it sounds good,’ he said, on being England’s first £100m player.

‘I’m happy with it, I like it. It’s something to be proud of really isn’t it. For City to have spent that sort of money on me shows how highly they value me.’