Jack Grealish would have been over the moon to help England return to winning ways in the UEFA Nations League as they beat Finland 3-1 on Sunday.
Declan Rice praised Grealish’s display for England against Finland — stressing that when his countryman is confident, it is a “massive boost” for the Three Lions.
Grealish scored his second goal during Lee Carsley’s regime as England’s interim boss with a well-taken finish as Angel Gomes’ glorious pass set him up.
The Manchester City winger staked a claim to become his country’s starting left-winger with his latest display.
The 29-year-old brought a blend of directness and calmness in possession that typifies why he is quite a unique wideman for both City and England.
Grealish took Anthony Gordon’s place in the side — who started in his nation’s recent shock 2-1 defeat to Greece.
Lee Carsley hails “outstanding” Jack Grealish after England beat Finland
However, the two-time Premier League winner’s first instinct after Sunday’s contest would have been to discover the Three Lions interim manager’s verdict on his performance.
Grealish raved about Carsley before England played Finland — a manager that the former Aston Villa captain admitted he “can’t speak highly enough of.”
Lee Carsley was full of praise for the decorated technician after his England side were deserved winners against Finland.
Carsley told ITV: “Jack [Grealish] was outstanding tonight. It was a shame he missed the first game; he would’ve been really effective against Greece. I wish I could fast forward and play Greece next week… Jack was very good, an infectious character. Really pleased for him!”
The 50-year-old’s admission about wishing Grealish was available to face Greece is an indication of how much he values him already.
Manchester City supporters praised Grealish’s showing against Finland as well as he is emerging as one of England’s most consistent performers yet again.
A month ago, Danny Murphy doubted Grealish’s place in the England side due to his tendency not to score and assist goals too often.
The City attacker’s showing against Finland and in recent games for the Three Lions suggest he is ready to fight for his place in the national side.
What Carsley said once about Grealish shows how highly he rates him
In September, Lee Carsley showcased his belief Grealish by emphasising that the in-form technician does not have anything to prove to him.
“I don’t think he has definitely got anything to prove to us. We can see his quality.”
“I think that will have done him a lot of good today in terms of getting another goal for England [against Ireland] and hopefully, he can continue that form.”
In July, Grealish suggested his desire to prove Gareth Southgate wrong for leaving him out of the squad for the European Championship this year.
The treble-winner’s seeming burning desire to disprove Southgate coupled with Lee Carsley’s faith in him seemed to have formed the perfect recipe for a player who looks at home in an England strip yet again.
As Manchester City face Wolves at the Molineux Stadium after the international, Grealish’s next target will be to start proceedings and trying to help the Premier League winners emerge victorious.
