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Ray Parlour has claimed that he would start Jack Grealish ahead of Chelsea star Cole Palmer and Tottenham Hotspur star James Maddison in midfield at the Euros. The former Arsenal midfielder turned television pundit was asked to pick his front six and admitted that Gareth Southgate has no shortage of top options.
Parlour picked Phil Foden and Bukayo Saka for the two wide positions, while Harry Kane almost picks himself up front. He also insisted that Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham are nailed-on starters in midfield and picked Grealish for the third spot.
While Grealish mostly plays as a left winger under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, Parlour has claimed that he has what it takes to play as a No. 8. The ex-Arsenal midfielder has claimed that Grealish would be a better choice in midfield than in-form Chelsea star Cole Palmer and Tottenham star James Maddison.
He said, as quoted by talkSPORT:
"I think certainly it'd be [Bukayo] Saka on the right, you'd have [Phil] Foden in another wide area. The big question is, what midfielders you're putting in? Declan Rice is certain, [Jude] Bellingham is a certainty, you've got one more player. On his day, do you know who'd I go with, when he's really at it? Grealish. I might be totally wrong there... I think Grealish can play in that midfield, he can track back."
The Arsenal great added:
"What he's done at Man City, where [Pep] Guardiola has got that little bit of, 'You've got to track back as well,' and he's done that really well. I've got no problem, he's a good little runner with the ball, there's so many options, you've got Maddison and people like that who could step in there as well. You've got so many, Cole Palmer you've got there, who's had a brilliant start to his Chelsea career. So he's got lots of options but if he was at it, when he was really on fire, I'll put Grealish in there."
Grealish has not enjoyed the best season of his career this time time out, having scored just three goals and provided two assists in 27 games across competitions. The 28-year-old has struggled with fitness issues and has missed the latest England call-up because of a groin issue.
Palmer, on the other hand, has been stellar form for Chelsea following his £40million switch from Manchester City in the summer. He has scored 14 goals and assisted 12 in 34 appearances for the Blues.
Maddison has also impressed in his first season at Tottenham following his move from relegated Leicester City. He has scored four goals and provided eight assists in 20 games for Ange Postecoglou's side but has missed 11 games with injuries.
Former Manchester City star makes big decision about his future at Chelsea: Reports
Chelsea attacker Raheem Sterling is reportedly looking to win over the fans after being booed in the FA Cup quarter-final victory over Leicester City on March 16. The former Manchester City star had a game to forget, although the Blues managed to beat the Foxes 4-2 thanks to two late goals.
Marc Cucurella gave Chelsea a 1-0 lead before Sterling missed the opportunity to double the lead from the spot. The former Manchester City and Liverpool star took the ball from regular penalty taker Cole Palmer but missed from the spot.
Palmer eventually doubled the lead just before half-time but Leicester came back thanks to an outrageous own goal from Axel Disasi and a strike from Stephy Mavididi. Chelsea eventually got the win, with Carney Chukwuemeka and Noni Madueke scoring late in the game.
Sterling had a day to forget as he not only missed the penalty but also scuppered several other chances as well. Following the game, he apologized to the fans on Instagram and vowed to come back stronger. He posted:
“Apologies for the penalty miss. I’ll be back 10 times stronger to help the team win and continue to fight for the badge every single day.”
Sterling has been pretty average for Chelsea since his £47.5 million switch from Manchester City in 2022. He has scored 17 goals and produced 14 assists in 74 games for the Blues so far and has been linked with an exit in the summer.
