The reason Jack Grealish wears his socks rolled down to his ankles and the smallest shin pads you’re ever likely to see
It’s fair to say that Jack Grealish has enjoyed more success than even he would have imagined just a few years ago. He was a very good Premier League winger at Aston Villa, but the turning point in his career came when Pep Guardiola decided to bring him to Manchester City in August 2021.
City were forced to fork out an eye-watering £100 million fee, the biggest deal in British football history at the time. While Grealish has blown hot and cold at the Etihad Stadium in terms of his individual performances, the England international was a key part of the Man City side that won a historic treble during the 2022-23 campaign. For that reason alone, it can be argued that he’s justified that enormous transfer fee.
While Grealish has been on the scene for quite a while now, there are probably football fans out there who are still puzzled when seeing how low Man City’s No. 10 wears his socks. And you might be wondering if he wears any shin pads at all with his socks hovering just above his ankles.
Most footballers wear their socks just below their knees but Grealish rolls his up to his shins and no further. The big question is why? Surely there are no benefits to having your socks that low, right?
Why Grealish wears his socks low
Superstition after his socks shrunk in wash
Speaking to Birmingham Live, Grealish explained the reason why he wears his socks low is all down to superstition. “Obviously your socks are supposed to go above your calves,” he said. “But one year when I was here [at Aston Villa], the socks once shrunk in the wash. So they wouldn’t go higher.
“That season, I ended up playing really well. So it became a superstitious thing for me. I thought ‘I’m going to keep doing this because I’ve done well’.”
George Best also used to play with his socks rolled down, but Grealish dismissed suggestions that the Manchester United legend was the inspiration behind his decision? “A lot of people say that it’s because of George Best,” Grealish added. “While I love him and admire so much what he did, that isn’t the reason.”
Grealish does wear shin pads
FA’s Laws of the Game state players must wear them
But what about his shin pads? Does Grealish actually wear any? Well, the Football Association’s Laws of the Game make it clear that shinguards are compulsory equipment.
“These must be made of a suitable material to provide reasonable protection and covered by the socks,” the laws state. When you see his socks down so low, it seems impossible that he could be wearing any shin pads at all. However, they *are* there – they’re just tiny.
Grealish’s shin pads are tiny
Described as ‘teenage’ size shin pads
Grealish’s shin pads have been described as “teenage” size by a source close to the player. Birmingham Live, meanwhile, revealed that his shin pads are between large child and small adult size.
“It’s a superstition that I’ve done all my life and I’m going to keep it that way,” Grealish insisted. “A few referees have tried telling me but I’ve got to keep it like that.”
It certainly wouldn’t be a surprise if kids up and down the country have followed Grealish’s lead on Sunday League pitches in recent years. The winger is a footballer that many youngsters look up to; not just because of his performances on the pitch, but also his lovable personality off it.
Other footballers cut holes in their socks
Including superstars Neymar and Jude Bellingham
Grealish is famous for his bulging calf muscles and having his socks rolled down during matches may also feel more comfortable for the Englishman. Other footballers like Neymar, Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka relieve pressure on their calf muscles and improve blood flow by cutting holes in their socks.
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