Alan Pardew has claimed that one Manchester City player will definitely be included in his country’s final squad for the upcoming European Championship.
After winning three trophies during their previous season, which saw the Manchester club become the first side to win four Premier League titles in a row, the focus for a lot of players in City’s squad is now on the upcoming international tournament in Germany.
With this week holding numerous friendly matches for the sides set to feature in the Euros, numerous City players have been getting some minutes under their belts before the tournament officially kicks off next week.
Now though, one pundit has dropped a claim regarding a particular City player and whether he’ll be involved in the tournament.
Alan Pardew backs Jack Grealish to be in the final England squad
Speaking on talkSPORT, Pardew had this to say about Jack Grealish and his possible inclusion in the final England squad, which is set to be officially announced after Friday’s friendly match against Iceland.
He said: “[Jack] Grealish is going. Grealish is going because, not just his playing ability, but as a character and a personality around the group. He is 100% going.”
This mirrors what Gareth Southgate had to say about Grealish when asked about the winger in his post-match press conference after Monday’s friendly 3-0 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina, where the City star assisted the second goal after coming on as a second-half substitute.
The England manager not only quelled any doubts about Grealish’s playing ability but also highlighted how much of a great personality he is to work with behind the scenes in training and the dressing room.
The Euros could give Grealish a big confidence boost after difficult City season
Even though the £300k-a-week winger only started 10 of the 20 Premier League games he appeared in for City this season, which Grealish himself admitted had been a tough one for him for numerous reasons, the fact that Pardew is adamant he’ll be in the final England squad shows just how highly he rates the winger.
In our view, if Grealish is included in the squad and gets the chance to play regularly in the tournament, this could give him a big confidence boost and put him in a good position to approach his next season with City.