Jack Grealish is the latest midfielder to give England boss Gareth Southgate a selection headache after another impressive display at the weekend. The Aston Villa midfielder was the star of the show when helping his side beat Brighton in the Premier League and he chose to do it in front of the watching Southgate, who was in the stands at Villa Park.
Southgate would have been impressed with the performance of the player, who has made a seamless step up to the Premier League this season, after helping Villa to promotion from the Championship in the last campaign.
He has been the stand out performer for Villa this season and would have been under the microscope when Southgate arrived at Villa Park on Saturday.
Thankfully for him and Villa, he stood out throughout the 90 minutes and created the winner for Matt Targett in the dying moments of the game, when it looked as though the visitors were about to grind out a 1-1 draw with 10 men.
The assist came after Grealish had earlier given Villa the lead and Targett was singing the praises of Grealish after the game, as was boss Dean Smith, who was quick to point out the player’s amazing work ethic as well as dazzling skills.
Smith highlighted the fact that Grealish ran 60 yards back to dispossess a Brighton player in the Villa penalty box, and such effort will not have gone unnoticed by Southgate.
The England boss does have an abundance of options in midfield with the likes of Mason Mount, James Maddison and Declan Rice all emerging this season, not forgetting the likes of Phil Foden knocking on the door.
But does he have a player like 24-year-old Grealish. Southgate is seeking a player to be innovative and inventive in midfield and he may have left Villa Park thinking he has found his man.
Grealish has yet to be capped having opted to represent the Three Lions over Republic of Ireland, but it is only a matter of time before that is addressed.
If Grealish carries on performing the way he is, then he will be impossible to leave out of the next England squad for the remaining Euro 2020 qualifiers.
Southgate picks players in form and at the top of their game and that is where Grealish is right now.
Smith added after the game on Saturday that Grealish just has to keep doing what he is doing and the call will come sooner rather than later.
England play Montenegro on November 14 and Kosovo three days later, and there is a very good chance the Villa man will be involved.
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