Jack Grealish looks set to start for England in their Nations League clash with the Republic of Ireland in Dublin and Alan Shearer has had his say on the Man City star’s place with the Three Lions
Alan Shearer claims Jack Grealish has the perfect chance to lock down his England spot ahead of Marcus Rashford and Raheem Sterling.
The Manchester City star was included in Lee Carsley’s first Three Lions selection for upcoming Nations League clashes with the Republic of Ireland and Finland. Grealish’s inclusion signalled his first return to the England set-up since being left out of Gareth Southgate’s Euros squad.
And he is expected to start on Saturday, ironically against the side he turned away from before declaring for England. Shearer believes that if Grealish can hit top form during the current break, he could secure a Three Lions role for himself ahead of his left-wing rivals.
Shearer said: “Jack Grealish was named in the squad after saying himself that he was hugely disappointed not to be involved in the Euros. We know it was a bitter disappointment for him.
“For him to be named in the next squad, I think that tells you what Lee Carsley thinks of him and the belief he’s got in him. That should be a great confidence booster for Jack to think, ‘okay, this might be my time to step forward and take that left wing position’, when the likes of [Marcus] Rashford, [Raheem] Sterling and [Jadon] Sancho are all missing from the squad.”
Grealish could be in for a somewhat unwelcome reception should he start in Dublin given his previous defection. His former teammate Callum Robinson is expecting boos during Saturday’s clash.
But Carsley has no concerns about throwing him straight in. Asked if he is worried about the reception he and Declan Rice could receive, he replied: “No, not at all.
“We spoke not only about Jack and Declan, but to the whole squad, we spoke about the atmosphere, we expect it to be exciting, passionate and loud. But it will be no different to what the players are used to in Premier League games or high-level games, so I think they will be ready for whatever comes out.”
Grealish, 28, has made 36 appearances during his England career but has scored just twice. His most recent appearance came in March this year in a 3-0 win against Bosnia & Herzegovina. The Manchester City man has not scored for the Three Lions since the opening match of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar – a 6-2 thumping of Iran.
