Wayne Rooney has aired his surprise at seeing “outstanding” Jack Grealish left out of the latest England squad, with the Manchester United-linked playmaker told he may need a move in order to get the recognition he deserves.
Many expected the Aston Villa midfielder to make Gareth Southgate’s selection for upcoming UEFA Nations League ties against Iceland and Denmark.
Having proved himself on a Premier League stage in 2019-20, Grealish was seemingly ready to take the first steps in a senior international career.
Southgate has, however, taken to leaving the 24-year-old out once again, with the likes of Mason Mount, James Ward-Prowse, Phil Foden and Kalvin Phillips getting the nod ahead of him.
Rooney is stunned to see Grealish being overlooked, given his creative qualities, and admits that a big-money transfer may be required in order for his potential to be fulfilled.
A switch to Old Trafford has been mooted for some time, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looking to add more match-winning talent to his squad, and a grander domestic stage may aid Grealish’s cause.
Red Devils legend Rooney, who is also England’s all-time leading goalscorer, considers that to be the case, telling talkSPORT of Southgate’s latest snub: “It’s very surprising. The season he had he was outstanding.
“I’ve been there when I was a young player at Everton and the team probably weren’t to the standard I was. And I think that’s where Jack is at now – Aston Villa are not at the standard of the player he is.
“I can’t work it out why’s he’s not in the squad – I have no idea. He should be in that squad.
“Even if he is just in the squad to train and you just bring him on for 10 minutes to see his character and see how he reacts to it. It was shocking that he wasn’t in the squad.”
Grealish had been asked to make an impact at Premier League level before coming into contention for an England call-up.
Many feel he did that in 2019-20, with his efforts as captain – which included eight goals and six assists – helping Villa to beat the drop on the final day of the season.
