Manchester City star Kyle Walker has admitted that he was not surprised teammate Jack Grealish wasn’t called up to the England squad for Euro 2024.
England manager Gareth Southgate recently named his 26-man team for the tournament in Germany. As the Three Lions are one of the favorites in the competition, there would be some notable omissions.
Along with Tottenham Hotspur midfielder James Maddison, Grealish was one of the more high-profile players to be left out of the squad. The star winger was previously seen as one of the top players in the entire Premier League. This, however, was prior to his $125 million move from Aston Villa to City in 2021.
Despite the huge fee, Grealish has failed to nail down a regular starting spot in Pep Guardiola’s team. The attacker’s place in the squad took a massive hit when club brass sanctioned a deal for fellow left winger Jeremy Doku in 2023. City splashed out nearly $65 million on the former Rennes star.
Defender says Grealish ‘could have had a better season’ at City
After making his selections, Southgate claimed that other players, such as Anthony Gordon and Eberechi Eze deserved a place in the team over Grealish. Walker has since admitted to agreeing with his national team manager.
“Was I shocked when Jack was left out? Shocked because I know what Jack can do. Was I shocked because of the players that he [Southgate] has brought in? No, because I think they’re all at a great quality and they’ve all had fantastic seasons,” Walker told ITV Sport.
Grealish has been a regular on Manchester City’s bench throughout the 2023/24 season, leading to his England exile
“I think Jack would be the first one to say he could have had a better season. I think he’s come out publicly and said he could have had a better season. So what does a manager base it on? Form or people that he knows have had good tournaments or a good season the season before?”
“You’re here on merit. And I believe it should always be like that. You’re in this team because you’ve played well for your club which then puts you into the England fold.”
Winger will likely have to switch clubs to earn more playing time
England, without Grealish, are essentially considered tournament co-favorites along with France. The Three Lions have a potent attack led by Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka, Jude Bellingham, and fellow City star Phil Foden. The quartet gives Southgate one of the top attacks in the entire competition. England, however, will need some stability in defense in order to collect their first major trophy in nearly 60 years.
Grealish, on the other hand, will be hoping to rest up this summer ahead of a crucial 2024/25 season with City. Assuming he continues to fall down the pecking order at the club, the winger could very well be set to switch clubs in the near future.
Nevertheless, a potential transfer could be difficult due to his current contract at the club. Grealish rakes in around $380,000 per week at the moment. The salary is now tied for the third-highest contract in the entire City squad. The winger would almost certainly have to lower these wages in order to find a new team.
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