Jack Grealish has said that Yaya Toure is one of the toughest players he has ever come up against in his career.
The Manchester City superstar reflected on his time facing the Ivorian legend at Aston Villa in an interview with Pro: Direct Soccer on their YouTube channel.
Jack Grealish says Yaya Toure is one of his toughest-ever opponents
Yaya Toure was a man possessed during the contest in 2014, as Manchester City beat the Villains 4-0.
The Champions League winner ran the length of the pitch to dart past a number of the opposition’s players before slotting the ball past the goalkeeper in vintage fashion.
When quizzed about some of the toughest players he has faced, one of the names Jack Grealish brought up was Yaya Toure, recalling the time he faced him a decade ago.
“Yaya Toure. When he played for Man City against [Aston] Villa in my debut. He was just silly, man. He was unbelievable”, he said on Pro: Direct Soccer.
“Yeah, [Yaya Toure was head and shoulders above] everyone. It was that season [2013/2014 season], do you remember? Yeah, free-kicks, yeah, I’m sure he scored 20 goals or something in the Prem [Premier League] from midfield”, he concluded.
Yaya Toure was unstoppable in that game
A young Jack Grealish would have been shell-shocked to be playing against a player of the calibre Yaya Toure and that too, when he was at his unstoppable best.
The midfield maestro bossed proceedings from the get-go, controlling the tempo of the clash, picking up dangerous positions in the final third and showcasing his technical elegance.
Ultimately, Yaya Toure’s excellent performance was rewarded with arguably the best goal he has scored in his career.
Despite having faced a number of elite players over the years, it is a testament to the former AS Monaco technician’s brilliant that Jack Grealish still remembers his masterclass from 2014.
