Jack Grealish Opens Up About Dazzling Man City Home Debut Against Everton
The newly opened Hill Dickinson Stadium celebrated its inaugural Everton Premier League triumph this past weekend. The Toffees secured a commanding 2-0 victory against Brighton and Hove Albion, orchestrated by new acquisition Jack Grealish.
Grealish dominated proceedings in his maiden home appearance, providing assists for both Everton strikes before exiting the pitch to thunderous applause from the supporters. Following the encounter, Grealish addressed journalists, discussing his transfer to the Merseyside club and the challenging period during his final months at Manchester City.
"My desire was to join this club [Everton] and the primary objective was to rediscover my passion for football, to relish playing each day," Grealish revealed. "Perhaps during recent seasons I haven't lost my love for the game, but I simply wasn't enjoying football to the extent I should have been."
"Football is my absolute passion and I'm eager to recapture that sensation when you wake up on game day and are desperate to step onto the field. That's exactly how I felt today and I hope my display reflected that enthusiasm."
Grealish moved to Everton on a temporary deal featuring a £50 million ($67.6 million) permanent transfer clause for the upcoming summer. The England midfielder had lost favor at Man City, featuring in merely 32 fixtures across all tournaments last campaign, with only seven Premier League starts.
When City departed for the United States to compete in the 2025 Club World Cup, Grealish remained in England, effectively signaling the conclusion of his tenure with the club. Nevertheless, the 29-year-old harbors no resentment regarding his City experience.
"My period at Man City was absolutely wonderful. I enjoyed four fantastic years there and collected numerous honors. I simply felt this summer represented the right moment for change. The instant I had a FaceTime conversation with the manager, David Moyes, I recognized this was my desired destination. Multiple factors attracted me here and today's performance demonstrates exactly why," Grealish commented following his debut victory with his new team.
Should Grealish recapture the exceptional form he displayed at Aston Villa that prompted City to invest £100 million ($134.4 million) for his services in 2021, he stands an excellent opportunity of securing selection for England's 2026 FIFA World Cup roster.