Jack Grealish has admitted his first season at Manchester City has been tougher than he anticipated both on and off the field, but he has enjoyed his time at Etihad Stadium so far.
The winger moved to the Premier League champions from Aston Villa for a British record transfer fee last summer, as the flagship purchase made by Pep Guardiola's side during the off-season.
The attacker has enjoyed a solid if not spectacular debut campaign with the Citizens, and he acknowledges it has not been as easy as he anticipated.
What has been said?
"It’s been good and I’ve enjoyed it,” Grealish told Man City's website. "It’s been a lot more difficult than I thought it would be in terms of on the pitch and off the pitch, moving to a new city and so on.
"It’s been different, but I knew that it was going to be like that. I knew that it was going to be me stepping out of my comfort zone, but I’ve enjoyed it. I think that’s what life’s all about - experiencing different things - and I’ve certainly done that.
“I’m still trying to deal with when you have a bad game or you get beat in a game; I’m still trying to learn that myself and come to terms with it, because I’ll admit, I’m not the best at it. Hopefully in the next few years, I can keep on improving with that."
Grealish on Guardiola
Despite his record-breaking price tag, the Three Lions star has not found himself first-choice throughout the season thanks to his manager's heavy rotation, amid clutch of off-field tabloid headlines.
Yet Grealish has nothing but praise for Guardiola, adding: “He’s unbelievable, an unbelievable coach. He just loves football. As soon as he steps foot in the building, everything’s just about football and everything’s just for the next game.
“I can't speak highly enough of him. He’s a brilliant manager who helps the team so much. I’ve said at times this season he's won games by himself, with the way he’s set us up and the tactics he’s given us, and we've gone out there and done the job."