Jack Grealish hopes for a fresh start and rediscovery of form

Manchester City star Jack Grealish recently spoke publicly about his struggles on and off the field, saying that 2024 was the most difficult year of his career.

Grealish won four consecutive Premier League titles with Manchester City in the 2023-24 season, but his personal performance was not satisfactory. He only started 10 times in the league and found it difficult to gain a foothold in Guardiola's system. His fluctuating form also prevented him from being included in the England team's 2024 European Cup roster, which was a major blow to his career.

Entering the 2024-25 season, Grealish's starting opportunities in the Premier League are still limited, and more playing time is concentrated in domestic cup competitions. Last week, he started and provided an assist in the FA Cup 2-1 victory over Leyton Orient, helping the team advance.

In the post-match interview, Grealish opened his heart and admitted that the past year had been a torment for him: "Last year was really difficult. My daughter was born, which is a great joy in life, but other than that, this may be the most difficult year of my life, both on and off the court."

“I was really struggling but it’s a new year now and I’m hoping to get a fresh start and get back into form. I feel like in the last few games - against Crystal Palace, Salford and Leyton Orient - I’ve been more involved in attack and hopefully I can continue that.”

At the same time, he also expressed his desire for stable playing time: "I hope to get more starting opportunities and regain my previous game rhythm. In the past few years, I'm used to playing games one after another, but now I always play intermittently, which makes it difficult for me to adapt."

“Hopefully I can continue to perform well in training and get more opportunities to play.”

Manchester City will face Real Madrid in the first round of the Champions League knockout match this week. This game will be one of the most important challenges for Guardiola's team this season. Facing a strong opponent, whether Grealish can get more playing time and win a starting position for himself will become the focus of attention.