Grealish joined Villa as a six-year-old and worked his way through the age groups before getting his first taste of regular senior football at the League One side. He played 39 times for the Magpies, scoring five goals and showing plenty of promise as an 18-year-old.
But in one particular game against Crawley Town, who Gregory was managing at the time, he was taken off. And in a recent interview, he bizarrely claimed it was due to his mind games.
“I actually got Jack Grealish taken off once,” he told Undr the Cosh. “He was on loan at Notts County from Villa so this would be about 2014. He must have been about 18 or 19 at the time.
“I&aposm in the dugout and whenever he came near me, I said, &aposF***ing Jack Grealish. Aston Villa. F***ing rubbish. No wonder they&aposve f***ing sent you out to Notts County.&apos I&aposm right in his ear, &aposNo wonder they don&apost f***ing want you up there&apos. 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, &aposHey, what about your mate Gregory having a pop at my Jack?&apos. So my mate said, &aposTook him off though, didn&apost they?&apos.”
Grealish, evidently irked by the claim, replied to the story on the podcast&aposs Instagram page, writing: “John Gregory – Episode 1 of things that never happened… What a clown.”
Whoever came out on top that day, Grealish has seemingly come out the better from his loan spell at Notts County. The tricky winger was a regular star for seven seasons at Villa before joining Manchester City in 2021.
After a relatively difficult first season of adjustment, the 28-year-old has become a crucial part of Pep Guardiola&aposs side and was outstanding last season as they won a historic treble.
