Ray Parlour has highlighted one Manchester City player who he thinks has improved one particular side of his game under Pep Guardiola.
Once the current domestic season ends, the focus for most football fans will then point towards the European Championship in Germany.
With the latest international break underway, one pundit has named one City player he’d like to see in England’s starting XI for the upcoming tournament.
Parlour praises Jack Grealish’s work off the ball
Speaking on talkSPORT, Parlour had this to say when asked who he thinks should play in midfield for England during the upcoming Euros.
He said: “On his day, when he’s really at it, Grealish. I think Grealish can play in that midfield, he can track back.
“What he’s done at Man City where Guardiola has got that little bit of ‘you’ve got to track back as well’, and he’s done that really well.
“He’s a good little runner with the ball. If he was at it, when he was really on fire, I’d put Grealish in there.”
City paid a club record fee of £100m to sign Grealish from Aston Villa back in the 2021 summer transfer window.
Since then, the Englishman has gone on to make 116 appearances for the Citizens across all competitions, scoring 14 goals and providing 17 assists.
These recent comments from Parlour aren’t the first time Grealish has been hailed for his defensive work, as Stuart Pearce heaped praise on the winger back in April after he ran a significant length of the pitch and tackled Mohamed Salah during last season’s 4-1 win over Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium.
This season has been a fairly disappointing one for the 28-year-old as he has struggled to get regular game time due to injuries, issues away from the pitch and tactical reasons.
However, with the Blues still in the race to win the three trophies Grealish helped them win last season, if the winger can come back and give them a push towards the silverware they’re chasing, he’ll have a great chance of being a regular figure in Gareth Southgate’s side for the Euros.