This Saturday marks a pivotal moment in the Christy Ring, Nicky Rackard, and Lory Meagher Cups with the final round of group stages set to unfold. Here’s a comprehensive preview of the crucial matchups:

Christy Ring Cup: Top-of-the-Table Clash

London vs. Kildare at Ruislip

Kildare, with four consecutive victories, are on the verge of another Christy Ring Final. A loss to London could create a three-way tie, but Kildare’s superior score-difference should secure their place. London’s winning streak was disrupted by Derry, making this clash decisive.

Key Players:
Kildare relies on Jack Sheridan, James Burke, Cathal Dowling, and the Boran brothers. London’s Jack Goulding leads the scoring charts, supported by Seán Glynn, Owen Sheil, and Ronan Crowley.

Derry vs. Sligo

Derry, eyeing a third final in four years, faces Sligo. A recent nine-point victory over London boosts their momentum. Sligo, yet to score points, aims for an upset.

Key Players:
Derry’s strength lies in Darragh McGilligan, Corey O’Reilly, Ruairí Ó Mianáin, and top scorer Cormac O’Doherty. Sligo’s hopes rest on Gerard and Tony O’Kelly-Lynch and Rory McHugh.

Tyrone vs. Wicklow

Both teams seek to end their campaign positively, each having secured a win over Sligo. A win here ensures their Christy Ring status.

Key Players:
Tyrone’s Aidan Kelly, Joe McToal, and Seán Óg Grogan are crucial, while Wicklow looks to Seánie Germaine, the Maloney brothers, and Pádraig Doran.

Nickey Rackard Cup: Battle for Final Spots

Roscommon vs. Mayo

This decisive game determines who faces Donegal in the final. Both teams have six points, with only Donegal halting their unbeaten runs. Mayo can progress with a draw due to a better score-difference.

Key Players:
Mayo’s hopes are pinned on Cormac and Adrian Phillips, Liam Lavin, and Shane Boland. Roscommon’s key players include Cian Murray, Paddy Fallon, and Brendan Mulry.

Donegal vs. Louth at Dowdallshill

Donegal, already in the final, face Louth, who seek to secure their status after a narrow win against Monaghan.

Key Players:
Donegal’s Gerard Gilmore, Liam McKinney, and Danny Cullen will be pivotal. Louth depends on Darren Geoghegan, Conor Murphy, Peter Fortune, and Conor Clancy.

Armagh vs. Monaghan

Monaghan needs a significant win to avoid finishing last, while Armagh aims to build on their win over Monaghan in the Allianz League.

Key Players:
Armagh’s Alex O’Boyle, Tiarnán Nevin, and Paul Gaffney are essential, while Monaghan looks to Thomas Hughes, Niall Garland, and Niall Arthur.

Lory Meagher Cup: Final Spots Up for Grabs

Fermanagh vs. Longford

Fermanagh, almost assured of a final spot, face Longford, who need a win to ensure their place.

Key Players:
Fermanagh’s Seán Corrigan, Danann McKeogh, Luca McCusker, and Brian Teehan are vital. Longford’s hopes lie with Cian Darcy, David Buckley, Reuben Murray, and Cathal Mullane.

Cavan vs. Leitrim at Drumshanbo

Cavan needs a win and must watch Longford’s result to secure a final spot. Leitrim, despite a potential third win, can’t make the top two due to head-to-head results.

Key Players:
Cavan’s Liam O’Brien, Nicky Kenny, Canice Maher, and Seán Keating are key, while Leitrim counts on Gavin O’Hagan, Stephen Goldrick, and veteran keeper Clement Cunniffe.

Lancashire vs. Warwickshire at Páirc na hÉireann

In this clash of the Exiles, both teams seek to end their seasons on a high note.

Key Players:
Warwickshire’s Jordan Conway, Jack Grealish, and David Devine will be crucial, with Lancashire relying on Eoghan Clifford, David Lynch, and Christopher Convery.

Stay tuned for an exciting weekend of hurling as these critical matches unfold.

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The 25-year-old penned a six-year deal after joining the side for £100 million, making the English international the most expensive player from the country ever.

The move is also the priciest in British footballing history, worth £11 million more than Paul Pogba’s return to Manchester United in 2016.

Grealish achieved a total of 32 goals and 43 assists in 213 appearances during his time with the Aston Villa senior side.

The signing is one of the biggest of the summer window and only pales in comparison to Romelu Lukaku’s imminent move to Chelsea when it comes to money.

The winger will be unveiled to the City faithful following his debut for the side at the weekend in the FA Community Shield defeat to Leicester City.

Grealish came off the bench at Wembley during the 1-0 loss to the 2020/21 FA Cup winners.

The boyhood Villain did not do too much during his 25-minute cameo but better judgement will be made of him as he earns substantially more minutes for Pep Guardiola’s European giants.

He played on the left wing for Pep’s team in a front three that included former Leicester man Riyad Mahrez and academy product Ben Knight.

The event will take place at the Etihad Stadium’s West Reception, beginning at 5 pm and with Jack arriving at approximately 6 pm.

The event will be hosted by City Square presenters Danny Jackson and Natalie Pike.

The post Grealish To Be Presented To Man City Fans appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

With four years left on his contract at Aston Villa, Man City would need to spend upwards of €100m to sign the 25-year-old.

Grealish is presently representing England at Euro 2020 and it is known that no transfers will be done until the end of the competition.

Although football agents are not allowed to enter the England training ground, they can still talk to their players over the phone.

The Englishman is yet to say publicly if he would like to move to the Premier League champions or stay with his boyhood club.

Also, Aston Villa has no interest in selling their prized player, offering a new, improved contract to his representatives.

Man City will offer £100m/$139m for Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish after #EURO2020, according to multiple reports pic.twitter.com/RMYOQJrIts

— B/R Football (@brfootball) June 25, 2021

Would Grealish be worth the money?

It is no secret that Grealish is one of the hottest prospects in English football. Last year he got six goals and 10 assists in a season plagued by a shin injury.

He still managed to be the most fouled player in the Premier League in just 26 games showing that he is the focal point of Villa.

For Man City, it is clear that they will be prioritizing a move for a striker this summer. They have already in talks with Harry Kane and Erling Haaland for big money transfers.

If the move happened, Grealish would be competing with Riyad Mahrez, Ferran Torres, Kevin De Bruyne, and Raheem Sterling for a starting place.

The English man is undoubtedly a great talent and players like Mahrez and Bernardo Silva could be sold to make way for new stars.

The post Grealish on the cusp of €100m move to Man City appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

Manchester United took on Aston Villa in the 2^nd Premier League game of 2021 – following West Ham’s win over Everton earlier.

Both teams had plenty on the line going into the game. Aston Villa had the chance to move into the top 4 with a win while United could have gone top of the table with a similar result.

Manchester United came out on top in the end thanks to goals from Anthony Martial and Bruno Fernandes. The match finished 2-1, meaning United are now level on points with Liverpool on top of the table.

FIRST HALF

Manchester United started the game brightly, attacking with pace and intent.

Emi Martinez had his first real tester in the 10^th minute. Anthony Martial struck from outside of the box but the Villa keeper denied the Frenchman with an agile save.

Aston Villa had a chance of their own just moments later. Matty Cash’s overlap allowed him space to cross and his ball into the box fell to John McGinn. The Scottish international struck low on the volley before David de Gea got a good hand on it to avert the danger.

After a period where both teams had their half chances, Anthony Martial finally made the breakthrough for Manchester United in the 39^th minute. The goal came a typical Manchester United counter attack. Aaron Wan-Bissaka bombed down the right flank before delivering a cross into the box which was met by the head of Martial before going into the net. He did well to anticipate and react to the opportunity. Tyrone Mings was at fault for the goal, having failed to intercept the cross into Martial.

The first half ended 1-0 to Manchester United as a result of Anthony Martial’s goal. Aston Villa showed signs of promise but also faded out of the game for large periods. A better second half was needed for Dean Smith’s side to warrant a good result.

SECOND HALF

Aston Villa started the second half much better than they played for the majority of the first.

Their pressure nearly culminated in a goal in the 51^st minute. Jack Grealish was involved heavily as he crossed into the box and onto Ollie Watkins head. David de Gea produced a superb save to hook Watkins’ shot over the bar and out for a corner.

Aston Villa continued to knock on the door and their efforts paid off in the 58^th minute with a Bertrand Traore goal. Aaron Wan-Bissaka was largely to blame for the goal. His poor positioning gave Jack Grealish of all people acres of space to work. Grealish took advantage of Wan-Bissaka’s error and crossed low into the box which was met and finished by Bertrand Traore.

Aston Villa’s equaliser didn’t last long. Manchester United were awarded a penalty in the 61^st after some good work by Paul Pogba. VAR were called into action to discuss the validity of the penalty and after some consultation, the penalty stood. Bruno Fernandes stepped up to the spot and he dispatched his effort low and hard into the corner.

Paul Pogba had a great chance to make it 3-1 in the 72^nd minute. Luke Shaw crossed in low from the byline to Pogba who was in space, but he fired wide of the post.

Emi Martinez was on hand again in the 76^th minute, this time he kept out in-form Bruno Fernandes. The Portuguese international shot from outside the box but Martinez managed to get a good hand to divert the ball behind.

Tyrone Mings had an excellent opportunity to atone for his mistake in the 83^rd minute. Matty Cash delivered a fantastic free kick into the box from wide. Mings got his head on the ball after a battle with Harry Maguire but his shot went just wide.

Matty Cash had a good second half and he nearly ended the half with a goal. He struck well from outside the box but David de Gea was at hand to tip it behind.

Eric Bailly produced a brilliant challenge/block right at the death to keep out Keinan Davis.

The match finished 2-1 to Manchester United after Bailly’s heroic defending. The Red Devils are now level on points with Liverpool.

Joint-top of the table!

#MUFC
#⃣ #MUNAVL
#PL@Chevrolet

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) January 1, 2021

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Grealish was born in Birmingham, England. But his Irish grandparents made him eligible to play for Ireland. As such, the attacking midfielder was selected for the Republic of Ireland U17 team in 2001. From here, Grealish made 19 appearances for the Ireland youth teams between 2011 and 2014, and scored six goals. 

Such was Grealish’s quality that he quickly became the subject of a tug-of-war between Ireland and England before making his first full international debut. It was reported that the player turned down a call-up to the senior Irish team in 2014, and he announced that he’d be no longer taking part in youth internationals in 2015. This decision was made by Grealish in a bid to concentrate on breaking into the Aston Villa first team. 

2015 was the year that Grealish eventually made the momentous decision to represent England at international level. The youngster had previously met England manager Roy Hodgson to discuss his future, and he eventually made his debut for the England under-21s in May 2016.

From here, Grealish has become one of the best things to happen to English football in years. His sparkling form last season was a major reason why Aston Villa stayed in the Premier League. Grealish has shown an ability to run at opponents without fear that has caused many people to compare him with the likes of Paul Gascoigne.

Grealish is still relatively young at 25 years of age, but the past six months have seen him displaying more maturity both on and off the pitch. The midfielder was pictured inhaling nitrous oxide in 2015, and courted controversy earlier this year when he flouted Covid regulations by crashing his £80k Range Rover after being at a house party until 4am. This came just days after Grealish appeared in a video encouraging football fans to stay at home. 

But the star has apparently changed his attitude and this finally caused him to get his first senior England international call-up in August 2020. This came after a time when another promising England youngster, James Maddison, was pictured playing at a casino when he had dropped out of the squad due to illness. All of which suggests that Maddison should have been better off playing at home with the best casino sign up bonuses via captaingambling.com rather than let Grealish steal his place in the England side.

Grealish made his England debut as a substitute against Denmark in early September. While this game didn’t give him much of a chance to shine, the 25-year old has rapidly grown to be an key player in the new-look England line-up. While the player ratings of the Irish team left much to be desired in their 3-0 defeat by England, Grealish sparkled on the pitch and showed both Ireland and England what they’d been missing. 

The attacking midfielder instantly became a key playmaker in the England team and quickly produced some great partnerships with Jadon Sancho and Reece James. All of which meant that Grealish earned a full 90 minutes in England’s recent Nations League game against Belgium. While England were beaten 2-0, Grealish was by far the best player on the pitch. 

He showed an endless hunger for running at the Belgian defenders with the ball, and produced no shortage of masterful flicks that caused him to run rings around the highest ranked football team in the world. All of which has made a strong case for Grealish to be a permanent inclusion in Gareth Southgate’s starting eleven for next year’s Euros. 

However, there are still many elements in Grealish’s game that could be improved. Some critics have noted that his determination to run at players causes the overall attack to be slowed down, and others have suggested that he lacks the goalscoring touch to make him a regular England starter. Despite these criticisms, it’s evident that the Irish team will still be feeling hurt by Grealish’s decision to switch allegiances to play for England.  

The post Why Jack Grealish is a missed opportunity for Irish football appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

It seems a long time ago since Declan Rice rejected Ireland in favour of England. In reality, it’s been less than 2 years. Since then, the West Ham midfielder has established himself as a regular for his country. Some would argue that he’s an Englishman so he should be allowed to play for the country, which is fair. Others would contend that he abused the Irish system for his own gain, thus denying other Irishmen the opportunity to represent their nation.

Similarly, Jack Grealish also played for Ireland but ultimately decided his future rested with England. However, the circumstances surrounding his decision are slightly different. Nearly 6 years following his switch to the Three Lions, many Ireland fans have *somewhat* forgiven Jack Grealish. This may be due to the length of time since his choice. Alternatively, it could be because Grealish never represented Ireland at senior level. Either way, Declan Rice is a far more maligned figure than the Aston Villa man.

𝗩 𝗜 𝗦 𝗜 𝗢 𝗡 @JackGrealish was on last night! pic.twitter.com/X23LU4DN7N

— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) OCTOBER 19, 2020

The England squad also features Michael Keane, whom represented Ireland up to u19 level before switching allegiance. The Everton defender has represented England since 2012, though.

Callum Robinson, on the other hand, previously represented England at underage level before declaring for Ireland in 2018. He has accumulated 15 caps since then. He’ll be looking to add to his catalogue against the country he once represented.

FIXTURE DETAILS

The nations are scheduled to meet in a friendly on the 12^th of November. Thursday is the day of the match which will kick off at 20:00. Wembley stadium will be the venue for the fixture in what promises to be an intriguing affair. It has been over 5 years since the two historical rivals last met. The last match ended in a scoreless draw. Let’s hope there’s more entertainment on show this time around.

Irish TV will not be broadcasting the match. However, ITV will be providing coverage for those in need of an alternative solution.

Ireland are also set to don their newly unveiled kit for the first time on the date. Umbro are the manufacturers of the kit which will feature no sponsor, unlike previous years.

KIT REVEAL

A closer look at the new Ireland home kit#BackToUmbro | #COYBIG | #COYGIG pic.twitter.com/D9Qcgc8xfc

— FAIreland (@FAIreland) OCTOBER 29, 2020

There are no real surprises in terms of team selection for both nations. All players called up have played or been in included in previous squads. Here are the England and Ireland squads for the fixture:

Republic of Ireland: Darren Randolph (West Ham United), Caoimhín Kelleher (Liverpool), Mark Travers (AFC Bournemouth); Séamus Coleman (Everton), Matt Doherty (Tottenham Hotspur), Enda Stevens (Sheffield United), Kevin Long (Burnley), Shane Duffy (Celtic, on loan from Brighton and Hove Albion), John Egan (Sheffield United), Dara O’Shea (West Bromwich Albion); Conor Hourihane (Aston Villa), James McCarthy (Crystal Palace), Harry Arter (Nottingham Forest), Jeff Hendrick (Newcastle United), Alan Browne (Preston North End), Jayson Molumby (Brighton and Hove Albion), Robbie Brady (Burnley); Callum Robinson (West Bromwich Albion), Callum O’Dowda (Bristol City), James McClean (Stoke City), Aaron Connolly (Brighton and Hove Albion), Adam Idah (Norwich City), Ronan Curtis (Portsmouth), Daryl Horgan (Wycombe Wanderers).

England: Jordan Pickford (Everton), Nick Pope (Burnley), Dean Henderson (Manchester United; Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Kyle Walker (Manchester City), Kieran Trippier (Atlético Madrid), Reece James (Chelsea), Ainsley Maitland-Niles (Arsenal), Ben Chilwell (Chelsea), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Michael Keane (Everton), Tyrone Mings (Aston Villa), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Conor Coady (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Joe Gomez (Liverpool), Eric Dier (Tottenham Hotspur); Phil Foden (Manchester City), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Mason Mount (Chelsea), Declan Rice (West Ham United), James Ward-Prowse (Southampton), Harry Winks (Tottenham Hotspur); Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City), Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund), Jack Grealish (Aston Villa), Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton), Tammy Abraham (Chelsea).

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FPL returns this weekend after two weeks of international duty. Since then, plenty has happened. The international transfer deadline came about on the 5^th of October, one day after the last round of Premier League fixtures were played. Numerous players were signed in which was a busy deadline day, many of whom will be looking to make an impression on the weekend and record valuable FPL points in the process.

Furthermore, several players impressed during the international break and will be going back to their clubs hoping they can replicate that form in the Premier League. Similarly, players not picked for international duty will be looking to prove their national team managers wrong by performing at club level.

Some FPL users will be forced to make changes given injuries during and before the break rendering players unlikely to compete. There is certainly no lack of options to choose from as several players will be itching to impress from Saturday.

Here are our picks for GW5:

Alex Telles – Manchester United – £5.5m

At a price of just £5.5m, Alex Telles is a potential bargain for FPL users. The new Manchester United signing is an attack minded left back who has managed to register a number of goals and assists throughout his career.

He managed 19 goal contributions in 31 league games in the Primeira Liga last season in what was an impressive campaign for the Brazilian. Before his move to Manchester, he also completed 4 goal contributions in 3 games this season.

His attacking output is outstanding for a left back, particularly in comparison to Manchester United’s current left backs, who managed a measly 2 goal contributions in the league last season between them. United face Newcastle at the weekend in a match Telles will be hoping to start.

Just 0.6% of users have picked him so far but we would expect that number to rise over the coming weeks.

𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹: Alex Telles is a Red! #MUFC

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) October 5, 2020

Tariq Lamptey – Brighton & Hove Albion – £4.7m

Another full back FPL users should consider is young Brighton full back Tariq Lamptey. Acquired from Chelsea last season, Lamptey has made quite an impression at the Amex despite making just a handful of appearances.

His attacking output isn’t yet as proficient as Alex Telles and some of the other attack minded left backs in the league, but he has shown signs of promise going forward and his numbers will certainly improve over time.

Lamptey is a diminutive, pacey full back capable of evading defenders like they’re not there. He has 1 assist in 4 games so far this season and is now a regular starter at the club, so his contributions will likely increase.

Adama Traoré – Wolverhampton Wanderers – £6.4m

Adama Traoré is on of the most exciting players in the Premier League. Improving season by season, he’s recently added numbers to his game after struggling with his end product for numerous seasons. His recent call up for Spain will also have done his confidence no harm.

He’s failed to get going so far this season with his contribution but much of that was due to factors out of his hand. He’s been forced to play much of the season so far at right wing back given the lack of options in that position after the departure of Matt Doherty. The arrival of Nélson Semedo, however, should mean that Traoré can now revert to his previous position of right winger where he can get down the byline and create chances for his teammates.

Wolves have an easy – on paper – run of fixtures in the next few weeks so Traoré should get back to his electrifying best.

Gareth Bale – Tottenham Hotspur – £9.5m

Bale isn’t full match fit so there are questions as to whether he will start on the weekend, but he’s returned to full training in recent weeks and should at least make a cameo. If Bale does start, he’ll likely be part of a front 3 including Heung-Min Son and Harry Kane, a prospect which should frighten opposition defenders.

Despite criticisms of Mourinho’s negative philosophy in the past, Tottenham have started the season in fine goalscoring form, netting 12 goals in just 4 games so far with Harry Kane seemingly back to his best.

Bale has struggled for Real Madrid in recent seasons due to a combination of off field issues and poor form, but he’s still a quality player.

Returning to the club which played a key role in his development should help Bale get back on track, Spurs fans and FPL owners will be hoping the Welshman can produce a career remontada.

We are delighted to announce the return of @GarethBale11 to the Club on a season-long loan from Real Madrid!#BaleIsBack #COYS pic.twitter.com/6w8P1CLx61

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) September 19, 2020

Ollie Watkins – Aston Villa – £5.9m

Watkins scored his first Premier League goals and first Premier League hat trick against Liverpool two weeks ago. Watkins has played at several levels in English football – which includes a spell in the National League South – and has managed to be prolific at each.

He scored 25 Championship goals last term which was impressive enough to garner the attention of Aston Villa who took their chance on the striker. Villa have been crying out for a goalscoring centre forward after failing with previous signings, but they may have finally found their man.

Watkins is perfect for users on the lookout for a cheap striker and his display against Liverpool will only have boosted his confidence in front of goal. We suggest picking him up now before his value increases any more.

Jack Grealish – Aston Villa – £7.1m

Another Aston Villa player, Grealish had his breakthrough Premier League campaign last season in which he helped his team to marginally avoid relegation. Villa look a much better outfit this term with some good additions made to the squad – namely Bertrand Traoré, Ross Barkley, Matty Cash and the previously mentioned Ollie Watkins.

They’ve made an incredible start to the season with an 100% winning record after 3 games. Grealish now has much better support than he had last season, in what was effectively a one-man team. He secured 24 FPL points in what was a career defining performance against Liverpool on the 4^th of October. He has 6 goal contributions in 3 league games so far and we would expect him to continue his form further into the season.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin – Everton – £8m

Calvert-Lewin is the most picked player in FPL currently with 48.9% of users opting for the Everton striker and it’s easy to see why. He’s consistently overcome odds during his career with many claiming he wasn’t Premier League standard. He’ll have silenced those doubters with his convincing displays this season.

He improved his proficiency in front of goal last season with a career high of 13 league goals and looks intent on breaking that record with 6 goals in just 4 appearances so far. Everton’s recruitment has been excellent this season, bringing in a number of top players including the formidable James Rodríguez, who has improved the team tenfold. The additions to the squad as well as the tutelage of Carlo Ancelotti have helped Calvert-Lewin reach heights he wasn’t capable of previously.

He also managed to score his first England goal during the international break in a season which has all the makings of being a stellar campaign for Calvert-Lewin.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin is the 1⃣st player to score in each of @Everton‘s first four #PL games of a season#EVEBHA pic.twitter.com/Ea7h7ODQic

— Premier League (@premierleague) October 4, 2020

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A football player drunkenly crashing his car after a party would make the press at any time, but in the case of the often-troubled Aston Villa midfielder, the timing couldn’t be worse. While we can’t say for sure Grealish was intoxicated at the time of his collision, he certainly looked the worse for wear in pictures of the incident, and he shouldn’t have been out of the house in the first place. 

This could turn out to be a deal-breaker in Grealish’s career in more ways than one. He’s been one of the very few bright spots for his club in a season that – until it was postponed – looked likely to end in relegation straight back to the Championship after just a single campaign back in the top flight. He’s attracted plenty of praise from influential names for his performances as Villa’s captain, and there was talk of a move to a bigger club in the summer. Both Manchester United and Liverpool had been mentioned as potential destinations. He’s been a loyal performer for Villa for many years, but he’s clearly capable – in terms of football ability, at least – of playing at a higher level, and the smart money said that this would be the year that he got his chance. 

It was also likely to be the year that Grealish was called upon to represent England at international level. His absence from the national side has become a talking point, and even though there are several young English players capable of doing a competent job in midfield, Grealish’s eye-catching displays for Villa were pushing England manager Gareth Southgate to the point where he’d surely be forced to give him a closer inspection and a chance at some point in the near future. Southgate is a cautious manager and values the character of his players as much as he does their technical abilities, but a star of Grealish’s quality can only be ignored for so long. He might not have made the final squad for Euro 2020 if the competition were still going ahead, but he might have had the chance to make an impression in a friendly or two. 

Sadly for Grealish, this high-profile misdemeanor is likely to cost him on both fronts. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been trying very hard to build a squad of dedicated, trustworthy players at Old Trafford, and if Grealish can’t stay out of trouble, he’s unlikely to fit the bill. Jurgen Klopp is also unlikely to take a risk on a player that can’t be trusted at Liverpool either. In terms of England, he might have pushed his first cap a year or two away even if he plays out of his skin when the season resumes. Rewarding badly-behaved players with caps isn’t the England way, and Grealish’s well-publicized drunken incidents of the past have been held up by some as the reason that it’s taken him this long to play himself back into contention. Having finally done that, he’s now almost certainly written himself off again with one bad decision. 

While England might not be interested in Grealish for the foreseeable future, Ireland might be. Putting faith in Grealish is a gamble, there is a new manager and that always sparks things up and maybe Grealish might fancy playing under Kenny.

The Irish are a nation of gamblers. That’s the reason that many of the games you’ll see on online slots websites have Irish themes. Look up any one of the hundreds of sites that offer online slots, and you’ll see leprechauns, pots of gold, lucky horseshoes, and harps on the reels. ‘Rainbow Riches’ might even be the most popular casino with paypal of all time. The Irish are happy to take a punt if there’s a chance of claiming a big win because of it, and Grealish fits the bill perfectly as a risky – but potentially rewarding – bet. Giving him the platform to play for an international team might even encourage him to buckle down and focus on football rather than frivolity. He’s in his mid-twenties now, and it’s high time that he grew up. 

There’s nothing stopping Grealish from playing for Ireland other than his own stance on the matter. He’s played for Ireland at under-21 level and was called up to the senior side in 2015 when he was only 20. His grandparents are Irish, and so there are no issues with his eligibility. He hasn’t been considered since that initial call-up because he publicly declared his allegiance to England, but if England isn’t interested in using him, then their loss could be Ireland’s gain if Grealish can get his head screwed on and focus on the sport that he has such a prodigious talent for playing. It certainly wouldn’t hurt for the Irish FA to ask the question once the season resumes. 

We understand that some people would be against such a notion, and that’s understandable. Nobody wants the Declan Rice situation to repeat itself. Rice changed his stance on playing for Ireland because England wanted him, though. Grealish changed his stance because he wanted England. They’ve never capped him, and after this latest career setback, they may never cap him in the future either. Ireland isn’t blessed with great options in midfield. A motivated and committed Grealish would be a welcome addition. When the dust has settled, it’s probably worth someone at least exploring the possibility of him changing his mind again and rejoining the international side he first wore the shirt of.

The post Is It The Right Time For Ireland To Approach Jack Grealish Again? appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

It seems the former Irish U21 player who decided to commit to England went to a friend’s house in his jeep and on the way home his jeep crashed into multiple cars.  It is not known if the Range Rover belongs to Grealish, who had been connected with a £50million move to Man United was driving.

Images said to have been taken Sunday morning showed the Aston Villa star in two different slippers looking totally out of it.

Other snaps on social media showed the damaged white luxury car abandoned on double yellow lines on the same street.

West Midlands Police said the driver left the scene “on foot” and officers were last night still trying to track him down.

A witness has told Sportsmail that Grealish was the man at the scene, accompanied by retired footballer Tony Capaldi, adding that he was seen leaving a building where former Villa team-mate Ross McCormack owns a luxury flat.

Witnesses claimed to The Sun that the car then drove 200 yards, veering on to the pavement and hitting a £30,000 silver C-Class Mercedes, as well as a £20,000 blue Mercedes. The Range Rover also crashed into iron railings in front of an estate agency.

There has been no statement from Aston Villa or Jack Grealish who earlier in the day had told his fans to stay at home and not go out

Stay Home. Protect the NHS. Save Lives.#StayHomeSaveLives @NHSuk pic.twitter.com/AIN4AzwNcR

— Jack Grealish (@JackGrealish) March 28, 2020

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