'Absolutely heartbroken' - Jack Grealish vows to use England Euro 2024 snub as 'motivation' after 'most difficult' moment of Man City winger's career

The 28-year-old winger played a prominent role for the Three Lions in their run to the final of Euro 2020, while also figuring in Gareth Southgate’s plans at the 2022 World Cup. A dip in form at club level did, however, lead to him being left out of another European Championship party.

Grealish had to watch on from afar as England came agonisingly close to landing elusive major silverware and has said of his omission from that squad: “I’ll be honest it was probably, football-wise, the most difficult thing I’ve ever had to deal with in my career. I was absolutely heartbroken and then obviously when you’re on your holidays, wherever I was, every time you turn on the phone or turn on the TV or whatever, you just see it. So it was hard to not to see it. For myself now, moving forward, I have to just try to use that as motivation going into this season and try to have the same mentality as I had two years ago. In my first season at City I don’t think I performed as well as I could and in the second season I played in a lot of the games and that was down to the first season. I had wanted to come back stronger and I certainly did that, so hopefully I can do that again.”

Grealish has scored only 14 goals through 125 appearances for City, but hopes an early return to pre-season – having had no international football to contend with – will have him raring to go in 2024-25. He added while on a summer tour of the United States: “This is my chance to get my fitness, to have a two-week head start and try to be as fit as possible. And I’m playing with confidence. I feel like that’s what I need and fingers crossed I can do that.”

City have landed the Premier League title in each of Grealish’s three seasons at the Etihad Stadium, while also claiming Champions League, FA Cup, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup honours. The former Aston Villa star still has three years left to run on the contract that he signed when completing a British record transfer to Manchester.