How viewers see Grealish on Instagram is how it really works, says Kozak

He didn’t make a big splash at Aston Villa, but he did play with a youngster who became an internet star after Manchester City’s Champions League triumph this year. How does Libor Kozak remember Jack Grealish?

Grealish went into the season in a difficult position. He needed convincing that Manchester was worth big money. His first season after his transfer from Aston Villa didn’t go too well, he didn’t perform well in terms of performance or individual stats.

Even last season it looked like the Citizens couldn’t expect anything revolutionary from him. But after the World Cup in Qatar, a completely different Grealish returned.

Suddenly he was involved in important goals, and with Erling Haaland’s poorer form he was the biggest support along with Kevin de Bruyne.

He was not missing from the line-up in the crucial final games of the season, including the Champions League final. When the Citizens won 1-0 against Inter Milan to complete the treble after winning the league and FA Cup, celebrations broke out, led by Grealish.

“Videos of him are popular now, I saw it live and I don’t think he’s changed at all. I didn’t believe he could do that at that level. Hats off to him,” Libor Kozak said on Footcast. Grealish was part of most of the photos and videos from the celebrations, often holding beer or hard liquor.

“He had talent, but when I saw everything around him, I didn’t believe he could ever be that good. I guess under Guardiola he has set some rules and it works,” the Birmingham native continued.

Kozak met Grealish at Aston Villa between the 2014/15 and 2016/17 seasons. However, they didn’t show much on the pitch together as the Czech striker had his best season in a Villans jersey with four Premier League goals in 2013/14.

In the following seasons, Kozak was already a substitute, while Grealish, on the other hand, was only just making his way into the A-team. Still, the Czech top striker remembers his partner. He knows him as he presented himself after the treble celebrations.

“The way viewers see Jack on Instagram, that’s how he really works. Or at least he worked then,” added Kozak.

Sources