Man City's Jack Grealish reveals reason for 'difficult' season in emotional interview

Jack Grealish opened up about his difficult season with Manchester City.

The England international played a pivotal role in City’s treble-winning 2022/23 campaign, but this year he has featured significantly less, and undergone a barren stint in front of goal.

While Grealish has started just nine of City’s 33 Premier League encounters this term he has insisted he is “playing with confidence” and is ready to make a contribution to his side’s Premier League run-in.

“It's been difficult (this season),” he told The Athletic. “Especially on the back of last year, I had such a good season. I was playing a lot and was one of the main players in the team and playing in all the important games.

“This year at the start of the season I had a dead leg which kept me out for a month and then I didn't play too often. I don't think my form was the best and I wasn't playing with a lot of confidence. In the new year, I had a few injuries again as well with my groin.

“Recently, obviously I haven't scored yet, but I feel good, I feel fit and I feel like I'm playing with good confidence. Hopefully, I can bring that into the end of the season.”

When asked the source of his loss of confidence earlier in the season, Grealish said: “I don't know. I just think sometimes if you're not playing and probably not up to it in training, in your own head, you just don't feel confident.

Jack Grealish has struggled for game time this season (Getty)

“It's not even about scoring and assisting. Now, I feel confident even though I've not scored. I got an assist last week at the Bernabeu (against Real Madrid) but I've said before that nowadays everyone loves to talk about goals and assists.

“It's annoying the way the game has gone because you can have a brilliant game and not get a goal or an assist and they say, ‘Ah, he didn't do this or that’ And then you can score two tap-ins at the back post and not play well at all and everyone's like, ‘Ah, he's brilliant’.

“At the moment, I feel good and I feel confident. At the start of the season, I just didn't feel like I was playing well really. I didn't really feel that fit if I'm honest. Coming in the team, playing a game, then being out of the team, in and out, it was a little bit difficult but I feel good now.”

Topics: Jack Grealish, Manchester City, Premier League, Football, England

Chris Byfield

Sport journalist with experience writing on football, rugby, boxing and the Olympics. I'm also a Crystal Palace fan. Please don't hold this against me.