JACK GREALISH has surely gotten used to watching games from the sidelines this season, but the 29-year-old wasn’t even on the bench for England as he usually is for Manchester City. Indeed, Grealish was omitted from Thomas Tuchel’s first squad as national team manager. Few argued with the decision considering the City winger’s recent form.

Grealish has been a shadow of the player who pushed Manchester City towards Treble glory two seasons ago. Back then, the winger was an important part of arguably the best team in English football history. Now, he is a peripheral figure at the Etihad Stadium, having started just six Premier League matches all season.

It has never been clearer that Grealish is facing a career crossroads, with the next few months until the end of the season critical. He must prove he belongs at Manchester City. He must find a way to make an impression on Pep Guardiola; otherwise, his place in Tuchel’s England squad for the 2026 World Cup will be in serious jeopardy.

At his best, Grealish is one of the most exhilarating attackers in the Premier League. He is a natural dribbler. He can beat a man to create something out of nothing and was widely considered one of the best English players of his generation when City spent £100m to sign him from Aston Villa in 2021.

At Manchester City, Grealish has had to adapt his game. He is expected to play a larger role in possession, unlike at Villa where he had more space to attack at speed. Some argue Grealish has been over-coached, asked to fit into a system that blunts his cutting edge in the attacking third of the pitch. It’s not an argument without substance. Grealish is indeed a different player to the one he was at Villa.

However, City’s Treble-winning season of 2022/23 saw Grealish reach new heights under Guardiola. He registered 13 goal contributions in the Premier League alone and gave Manchester City a different dimension on the left side. Without him, Guardiola’s team would have been much easier to play against. Grealish gave them a certain unpredictability.

Now, Grealish is entirely predictable. He himself has become easy to play against. The 29-year-old has lost confidence in his one-on-one ability and is too quick to cut inside and play a safe pass rather than take someone on. It’s no wonder Guardiola is now favouring other options in his position.

Guardiola has tried using Grealish in central midfield. The 29-year-old is comfortable on the ball and so the logic was surely that he could give Manchester City a foothold in the middle of the pitch at a time when their midfield unit has faced criticism this season. However, Grealish doesn’t have the defensive fibre to play this position. It was a short-lived experiment.

At 29, Grealish should be at the peak of his powers. Manchester City paid £100m for him in the belief that he would be a key figure for years to come. As things stand, though, they have only gotten one top-level season out of him and time is running out for Grealish to keep his place in the City squad as the club starts a rebuild.

A lot could change for Grealish between now and the start of the 2026 World Cup. He could leave City in the summer transfer window. Or he could force his way back into Guardiola’s team. One way or another, though, the £100m man is starting a career-defining stretch. We’ll know more about his footballing destiny within a few months. 

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