Jack Grealish's former Aston Villa teammate reveals incredible display of dedication that left him stunned
Jack Grealish's former teammate has revealed the Manchester City star's incredible level of dedication, which left him stunned.
Derby midfielder Conor Hourihane spent four years alongside Grealish at Aston Villahelping the club achieve promotion to the Premier League in 2019.
The two formed a solid friendship on and off the field until Grealish swapped Villa Park for Pep Guardiola's. city of manchester in summer 2021.
Speaking to talkSPORT, Hourihane fondly remembers his time playing alongside the former Villa captain and paid tribute to his incredible work ethic, stating that he often goes unnoticed.
Hourihane also revealed that Grealish's dedication led him to take a well-deserved nap at the club's training ground between training activities, rather than packing his bags and returning home.
“He's a great guy and an incredible footballer,” Hourihane told talkSPORT.
“I knew the last year I played with him he was probably going to make a big move.
“With his quality he constantly rose to the next level. He also put a lot of work into his game.
“He would sleep on the training ground for a couple of hours and then wake up and go to the gym, things that people don't see.
“His sacrifice to try to improve his strength and technical ability was there from the beginning when I arrived at the club. Seeing him go to Man City for £100m and then win the treble is something he deserves.
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“It was a privilege to play with him, his level was maximum.”
Grealish returned from injury as an unused substitute in Manchester City's 2-0 FA Cup win over Newcastle on Saturday.
The 28-year-old is not in the England squad for the upcoming double-header against Brazil and Belgium and will instead follow a training plan to ensure he is fit and ready for City's eventful encounter.
Guardiola's side returned to Premier League action on March 31 with a delightful clash with the leaders. Arsenal.
Grealish is likely to play a key role if City are to complete an unprecedented back-to-back treble.
The city will assume real Madrid in the highly anticipated Champions League quarter-finals next month before facing Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley, and compete with Liverpool and Arsenal for the Premier League title.
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