Former Aston Villa manager Tim Sherwood has claimed that he tried to sign Jack Grealish for Tottenham Hotspur when he was 16.
Sherwood, speaking to the Telegraph, also likened Grealish to the England icon Paul Gascoigne, stating that the Villa man is as close as you can get ability-wise to the former Rangers and Spurs man.
Sherwood said:
I thought we could get him if we offered someone who would be go straight into the Villa side and play for them every week.
In fairness it wasn’t any good for Harry (Redknapp) at that stage because Jack was just a boy. But I saw him as the future of the club.
Jack (Grealish) is the closest thing I have ever seen to Paul Gascoigne. I’ve played against some of the best midfield players the Premier League has ever seen – Keane, Vieira, Scholes – but they never made you look stupid. Gazza did.
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This is certainly high praise for Grealish, who is considered by many Villa fans to be a huge talent for the future.
Likening him to Gascoigne, one of the best England players of all time, certainly shows how respected Grealish is by his former managers.
Many Villa fans will be hoping for a repeat performance from the midfielder against Manchester City, after two standout games against Norwich and Brighton.
