Jack Grealish has appeared to hit back at his critics and revealed he cannot wait to be back playing football. Photos emerged online earlier this week showing the on-loan Everton man asleep during a day out with pals in Manchester last weekend.
Pictures showed the England international sleeping by a booze-filled table around the same time his side were being beaten by West Ham United at the London Stadium. Grealish had not breached club disciplinary rules by being out in Manchester last Saturday. Taking to Instagram on Thursday night, he posted a series of photos, starting with a photo of him topless on an exercise bike, with the caption: “April… Let me live hallelujah Cannot wait to be back playing football.”
Grealish, who shocked five Special Olympics Great Britain athletes during their VIP tour of Hill Dickinson Stadium earlier this week – a reward for their superb efforts in completing the London Marathon just a day earlier – moved to Everton on a temporary basis during the summer transfer window after falling out of favour with Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.
One of the main reasons the 30-year-old moved to make the move happen was so he could have a chance to feature in England's World Cup squad. Although Grealish impressed for David Moyes’ side, scoring twice and claiming six assists in all competitions, his campaign was cut short in January after he suffered a stress fracture in his foot, which required an operation.
Everton committed to an outlay of about £12m to cover the majority of Grealish’s wages when bringing him to the Hill Dickinson Stadium. A £50m option to buy was included in the loan agreement by City, but that valuation was placed upon him for accounting purposes.
It is understood the ambition for Everton is to extend Grealish’s stay into a second season, preferably on loan, and the plan is to formally explore that at the end of the current campaign. Providing an update on his recovery earlier this week, Grealish revealed the operation had gone extremely well and that his surgeon is delighted with the progress.
"I feel really good in myself now. I had a 10-week Zoom call with the surgeon, who said it couldn't be looking any better at this stage," he told BBC Sport. "So for me, it's happy days and so good to hear news like that." Grealish also said that Everton have looked after him brilliantly during his long spell on the sidelines, adding: "I can't thank (Everton) enough for the way they've been with me since I've been injured. They've been brilliant. From the staff, to the players, to the manager."
Even though Grealish’s future appears to be up in the air, former Everton and Manchester City midfielder Gareth Barry believes he won’t be short of offers this summer. Speaking via BetMGM, he said: "I remember speaking last summer when all the noise was about and I thought it would be a great move for both the club and Jack. I knew he would be desperate to win a World Cup space and that is why he started on fire, but unfortunately injuries stopped that happening. He is the type of player that Everton fans love. He is going to get the fans off their seats, he is going to give 100 percent and he brings that little bit of X Factor as well. Jack is going to have a big decision to make and see what options he has, but with my Everton head on I would love to see him at Everton next season, but I'm sure there will be interest from elsewhere as well."
