Jack Grealish showed his true character by issuing a heartfelt apology to Miguel Almiron following his derogatory comments towards the former Newcastle star. The winger, currently on loan from Manchester City to Everton, won the Premier League title in dramatic circumstances in his first game at the Etihad Stadium.
Josep Guardiola’s side made a remarkable comeback from a 2-0 deficit against Aston Villa on the final day of the season, winning 3-2 and defeating Liverpool by just one point for the second time in four seasons. Grealish initially struggled to adapt to the Spaniard’s tactical approach, but this did not prevent the England international from fully committing to the celebrations.
During the club’s trophy parade, he slammed Almiron when asked about what sparked City’s improbable turnaround.
In a recorded phone call, he declared: “There were two secrets. The first is Riyad (Mahrez), get him off the pitch as soon as possible. He played like Almiron.”
The former Magpies forward has endured a particularly difficult 2021/22 season, finding the back of the net just once in 32 games across all competitions.
A few months later, during the 2022/23 season, Grealish revealed his caring nature and expressed regret for his comments, admitting he had intended to keep them private, but the footage was subsequently leaked. In an interview with the Daily Mail, he explained: “I haven’t actually been asked about it, so I’m just mentioning it.”
“Sometimes you do something really stupid and you regret it. It was the day after the season ended and I had obviously had a few drinks. I remember being in Ibiza at the time and it (the video) was obviously released.”
During Grealish’s apology, Almiron enjoyed the best season of his career at St James’ Park, finishing the season with 11 goals, and admitted in an interview that Grealish was a great player and wished him the best.
The Toffees star went on to say in the interview that he was aware of Almiron’s comments and had shown the utmost respect for his fellow professional. “I swear to you, I’m really excited about his reaction,” Grealish added.
“He said something about me the other day in an interview and wished me luck, and I thought, “What a guy,” because if someone had said that about me, I probably would have been in a different position.
“I sent a message to Matt Targett because I’ve known him since Villa, and I said, ‘Can you please send me a message on my behalf and say I’m sorry?’ I thought the video was private, but he’s a fellow professional, even if it was private, so I shouldn’t have said it.”
Despite four trophy-laden years at Manchester City, Grealish struggled for form last season, scoring just one goal in the league. However, since his loan move to Everton, the winger has bounced back to form and has become an integral part of David Moyes’ side, with the Merseyside club currently sitting eighth in the table after seven games.
He has already scored five goals and provided an assist, three more than his total from last season, and opened his account for the club with a last-minute goal in the 2-1 win over Crystal Palace.
Moyes praised Grealish after the game, saying: “Jack did another great job. He had a couple of shots on target and the goalkeeper made comfortable saves. I’ve been pushing him to get goals and assists and Johnny playing from the spot was key.”
