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Jack Grealish has hit back at former Aston Villa manager John Gregory claiming that he got the English playmaker subbed off after shouting expletives from the touchline.
Grealish joined the Villans from Highgate United in 2002 and was loaned out for first-team experience to Notts County in the summer of 2013. He made 39 appearances during his one year at the Meadow Lane outfit, which included two games against Crawley Town, who were then managed by former Villa boss John Gregory.
Gregory, who managed the Villans from 1998 to 2002, recently told the Undr the Cosh podcast (h/t Mirror) that he once got Grealish subbed off after ranting from the touchline. The 69-year-old, who also managed Chennaiyin FC in the ISL from 2017 to 2019, said:
"I actually got Jack Grealish taken off once. He was on loan at Notts County from Villa. He must have been about 18 or 19 at the time (Grealish was 18). I'm in the dugout and whenever he came near me, I said, 'F***ing Jack Grealish. Aston Villa. F***ing rubbish. No wonder they've f***ing sent you out to Notts County'.
"I'm right in his ear, 'No wonder they don't f***ing want you up there'. Getting into him. They take him off and he went home and told his dad and his dad spoke to one of my friends. He said, 'Hey, what about your mate Gregory having a pop at my Jack?'. So my mate said, 'Took him off though, didn't they?'."
Grealish has since come out and denied that this instance took place. Replying to the Undr the Cosh's post of the interaction on Instagram, Grealish wrote:
"John Gregory - Episode 1 of things that never happened... What a clown."
The game in question occurred at the Broadfield Stadium on 29 December 2013. Grealish started the game but was subbed off in the 66th minute, with Notts County losing 1-0.
Jack Grealish's record at Aston Villa before big-money move to Manchester City
Jack Grealish spent 19 years on Aston Villa's books before making a high-profile switch to Manchester City in the summer of 2021.
Grealish racked up 32 goals and 43 assists in 213 senior games for the Villans throughout his time in Birmingham. He made his senior bow for England in September 2020 while he was still at Villa.
The 28-year-old was highly impressive in the 2020-21 season. He registered seven goals and five assists in 27 games across competitions despite missing a big chunk of the season due to a shin injury.
Manchester City came knocking on Aston Villa's door in the summer of 2021 and signed Grealish for a fee of £100 million. Since then, the Englishman has scored 11 goals and provided 17 assists in 101 games for the Cityzens, winning two league titles and a UEFA Champions League trophy.
