In the crisp dawn of a new era for English football, the Three Lions’ camp buzzed with a mix of anticipation and tension on March 14, 2025, as Thomas Tuchel unveiled his inaugural squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia. The announcement, delivered with the German tactician’s trademark precision, sent ripples through the sport, spotlighting two Manchester stars whose fates diverged sharply: Marcus Rashford, basking in a triumphant return, and Jack Grealish, nursing the sting of exclusion. Amid the chatter, Grealish’s reaction to Rashford’s heartfelt social media post—a simple, supportive gesture—spoke volumes about their bond, even as the winger’s own England dreams dimmed. “Never stop believing,” Rashford had written, a rallying cry that Grealish quietly endorsed, a flicker of camaraderie in a tale of resurgence, rejection, and the relentless pursuit of glory.
The backdrop to this drama was Tuchel’s bold first step as England’s head coach, a role he’d assumed with the weight of a nation’s hopes on his shoulders. Rashford, now 27 and revitalized on loan at Aston Villa from Manchester United, earned a call-up after a year in the international wilderness. His last cap had come in a friendly loss to Brazil in March 2024, followed by a summer snub from Gareth Southgate’s Euro 2024 squad—a blow that had left him sidelined as England stumbled in Germany. But at Villa, under Unai Emery’s steady hand, Rashford has rediscovered his spark. Though he’s yet to score in nine appearances since January, his four assists—forged in a dynamic partnership with loanee Marco Asensio—have Villa fans clamoring for a permanent deal. “There is no doubt about his talent and about his quality,” Tuchel said, his voice brimming with conviction. “To see him so decisive and so physically involved gave me the impression that it is the right moment to call him up and give him the extra push that he stays on that level.”
Rashford’s Instagram post, shared moments after the squad reveal, was a beacon of resilience. “Never stop believing,” he wrote, captioning a collage of his Villa highlights—a blur of pace, a deft pass, a roar to the stands. The message resonated, drawing reactions from teammates and rivals alike. Among them was Grealish, the Manchester City playmaker whose own fortunes had taken a stark turn. The 29-year-old, once England’s £100 million golden boy, liked Rashford’s post—a quiet nod of respect from a friend who’d shared the Three Lions’ highs and lows. It was a classy move, especially given Grealish’s absence from Tuchel’s 26-man list, a snub that left him on the outside looking in as England prepared for its next chapter.
Grealish’s exclusion wasn’t entirely a shock, but it cut deep nonetheless. Since November, when he’d withdrawn from Nations League duty with an injury, his club form had cratered. At City, he’s been a shadow of the treble-winning dynamo from 2022-23, managing just three Premier League substitute appearances in 2025—two goals across all competitions a meager haul for a player of his pedigree. Pep Guardiola’s squad, battered by a season of upheaval—23 points adrift of Liverpool, teetering in the Champions League—has seen Grealish relegated to the fringes, outshone by fresher legs like Savinho and Jeremy Doku. “They know what they have to do,” Guardiola had said days earlier, deflecting questions about Grealish’s off-field pub jaunt near Sunderland with a shrug. “I judge what I see on the pitch, the training sessions, and the performances in the game.” For Tuchel, though, that pitch time—or lack thereof—was decisive. Rashford’s minutes and impact trumped Grealish’s cameo struggles.
The contrast couldn’t be starker. Rashford, with 60 caps and 17 goals since his 2016 debut, had weathered a storm—dropped by Southgate, benched at United, then reborn at Villa. Grealish, with 39 caps and a flair that once lit up Euro 2020, now faced a crossroads. His last England outing had been a fleeting taste of action under interim boss Lee Carsley, but 2024 had been a personal crucible—welcoming daughter Mila Rose with girlfriend Sasha Attwood in September, yet grappling with what he called “the most difficult year” of his life. “I’ve had problems on and off the pitch,” he’d admitted earlier, a rare crack in his usually buoyant facade. Tuchel’s squad leaned elsewhere—Anthony Gordon, Phil Foden, Jarrod Bowen, and Rashford among the forwards, with Harry Kane and Dominic Solanke rounding out the attack. Grealish, for now, was surplus.
Yet, his reaction to Rashford’s post hinted at a deeper story—one of unity over rivalry. The two had been England comrades since Rashford hailed Grealish as “a great player” after a 2021 friendly, predicting he’d “win more games” for the team. They’d shared the 2022 World Cup stage, Rashford scoring thrice, Grealish dazzling in bursts, only to miss Euro 2024 together—Rashford for form, Grealish for fitness. Now, as Rashford rose, Grealish’s like was a silent salute, a gesture that transcended their diverging paths. It echoed their past—Rashford’s praise, Grealish’s pride in a squad they’d both bled for—and hinted at a hope that their England tales weren’t done.
The squad itself was a blend of old and new. Jordan Henderson, 34 and battle-hardened at Ajax, rejoined the fold, his experience a counterpoint to 18-year-old Arsenal starlet Myles Lewis-Skelly’s first call-up. Reece James, Tuchel’s Chelsea linchpin from the 2021 Champions League triumph, returned after two years sidelined. But Grealish’s omission fueled debate—fans online split between those who saw it as justice for his City slump and those who mourned the loss of his flair. “Jack at his best is an absolutely fantastic talent,” a pundit had mused days prior, pondering his next move. “Does he want to get back into the City side? He’ll want to get back into Tuchel’s thinking.”
That question looms large. Grealish’s City future hangs by a thread—rumors swirl of a summer exit, perhaps to Newcastle or back to Villa, where he’d once been captain. His £500 pub generosity near Sunderland last week—buying 200 pints for locals—won hearts but underscored his off-pitch spotlight, a contrast to Rashford’s quieter resurgence. “If it was Rashford in those images stumbling down the road outside the pub, he would be destroyed,” a Sky Sports voice had argued, nodding to a perceived double standard. Grealish, relieved to dodge that bullet, now faces a starker challenge: rediscovering the form that made him Britain’s priciest star.
For Rashford, the road ahead is golden—two qualifiers to prove Tuchel right, to cement his Villa renaissance into England lore. “The support has been amazing,” he’d said after past call-ups, and now it swells again. Grealish, watching from Manchester, could only tip his cap—his like on that post a small but telling act. It’s a tale of two talents: one climbing from the ashes, the other fighting to reignite his flame. As England gears up for Albania and Latvia, the Wembley faithful will cheer Rashford’s return, but Grealish’s quiet support lingers—a reminder that in football, as in life, belief can falter but never fully fade.
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