'Normal kid' Grealish an England fan favorite at Euro 2020

Fresh from an afteron nap, Jack Grealish wandered over to a picnic table sipping juice through a straw.

H he t me it as a player and been at European Championship, Grealish envisioned a very different career path, probably sipping something a little stronger.

“I would be getting everyone into club,” he said.

As nightclub promoter, that is. Grealish is imagining an alternative path as part of hedonistic nights on Spanish islands of Ibiza and Tenerife, rar than sitting in sun at England’s St. George’s Park training base preparing for a quarterfinal meeting with Ukraine on Saturday.

“I’m just a rmal kid and, as I’ve grown up ... that’s probably one of hardest things,” he said. “I look at what my friends are doing and I’d love to be like that sometimes and just go and do stuff.”

Perhaps it’s because winger seems to embody spirit of a regular fan that has endeared him so much to Wembley Stium crowd in England’s run to Euro 2020 quarterfinals.

“I try and get fans off ir seats,” he said. “I try and attack as much as possible and I think that’s what fans want to see."

Aston Villa captain has become player fans yearn to see despite, or maybe because, he has only started one of England’s four games at Euro 2020.

“Super Jack Grealish,” y chant for player recognizable for his swept-back hair and bulging calf muscles who is more used to being booed at Premier League stiums.

“It’s weird,” he said. “It’s nice when Villa fans are doing it, but you kind of expect it because you are one of m. But when it’s England fans, it’s different.”

He has still found time to assist on half of four goals, including cross for Harry Kane to complete 2-0 win over Germany on Tuesday. After coming on as a second-half substitute for Bukayo Saka, he was also part of move leing to Raheem Sterling’s opener.

Grealish has h to get used to a role as an impact substitute for England when he rmally plays almost every minute for Villa. It’s a sign of enviable attacking options available to England coach Gareth Southgate.

“I have to be realistic about myself," Grealish said, “and talent that we have."

re's Kane, who is guaranteed to start, along with Sterling — ar favorite of Southgate's — plus Jon Sancho, Marcus Rashford, Phil Foden and Saka.

“That’s scary how good us six are,” Grealish said. “That’s t being big-heed or thing. That is just truth. I’ve got to be realistic. I’ve just got to go and train as well as possible."

It’s tough for Southgate to disappoint players he has to leave out.

“Plenty of cuddles,” he quipped of Southgate’s style. “He’s a brilliant man-manr and he has all se attacking players that play week in, week out at ir clubs. It’s same for those or six, for those who haven’t h game time y would have liked. He can’t play all six of us.”

clamor is for Grealish to start in Rome against Ukraine with a place in semifinals on line. England also reached last four at 2018 World Cup, losing to Croatia, two years before Grealish me his England debut.

“I always try and play with a smile on my face because I’m doing what I love,” he said. “If I wasn’t a footballer and I was just with my mates, I would just to be doing what y’re doing. I’d be traveling everywhere watching England, being in pubs.”

That looked like being Grealish’s only way of being part of national team.

At 25, Grealish is a late developer in an England squ that has alrey seen 17-year-old Jude Bellingham play at tournament.

“I h some stuff off pitch and n I got relegated,” Grealish said. “So it’s body else’s fault. It’s my own.”

From those excesses and mistakes, including breaching England's first lockdown last year , Grealish feels he has matured.

“Deep down I am still Jack when I was young,” he said, “and I will never t be that person.”