After Manchester City demolished Real Madrid 4-0 in the Champions League semi-final second leg, James Maddison and Declan Rice lavished praise on to Jack Grealish.
The 27-year-old’s outstanding display at the Etihad Stadium certainly caught the eye, with Rio Ferdinand highlighting his incredible transformation from last season.
James Maddison and Declan Rice certainly noted that and much more about Jack Grealish as Manchester City schooled Real Madrid on Wednesday night.
James Maddison and Declan Rice rave about Jack Grealish as Manchester City beat Real Madrid
Since joining the Sky Blues for a then-British record fee, the England international has been vilified by fans and pundits alike.
However, Grealish has made his critics eat humble pie this campaign, emerging as one of City’s most key players in what has been a phenomenal turnaround for him.
As Manchester City attacker Jack Grealish gave Dani Carvajal the run-around whilst having been incredible defensively once again, James Maddison and Declan Rice sang his praises on Instagram.
Maddison commented on Grealish’s Instagram post, saying, “Top level, brother”, while Rice said, “Deserve it, brother.”
Clearly, the former Aston Villa skipper’s fellow countrymen seem to realise how he has battled the odds to prove his quality at the elite level.
MCN View: Grealish is a reminder to never write Guardiola signings off
Bernardo Silva, Riyad Mahrez, Rodri, Joao Cancelo and now City’s No.10 are all examples of players that took a season to learn Pep Guardiola’s ways.
And in the following campaigns, each player became virtually unstoppable.
Not just James Maddison and Declan Rice but the entire world witnessed Jack Grealish put on an absolute masterclass for Manchester City against Real Madrid.
It takes time to adapt to Pep Guardiola’s methods and the fuss around new signings initially undergoing struggles should not be much of a headline at this point.
In any case, Grealish’s case is a reminder that when Guardiola trusts a player and the club bring him in, it is almost guaranteed that they live up to the billing.
