LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — England midfielder Jack Grealish will look to reignite his career after joining Everton on a season-long loan deal from Manchester City on Tuesday.
The 29-year-old Grealish, one of the poster boys of English soccer, became the country’s most expensive player after a 2021 move from Aston Villa to City for 100 million pounds (then $139 million). He was a regular pick in City’s historic 2022-23 season when the team won the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup.
However, Grealish has fallen out of favor over the last two seasons, not even making City’s squad for the recent Club World Cup, and has chosen to move to Everton for a season ahead of the 2026 World Cup in North America.
“I’m over the moon to have signed for Everton — it’s massive for me, honestly,” Grealish said of a team without a major trophy since 1995. “This is a great club, with great fans.”
The loan switch removes not only a high-earner from City’s wage bill but also one of the many attacking midfielders built up in City’s stacked squad.
Grealish often had a free, roaming role when making his name at Villa, but had to be more disciplined and restricted as a left-sided forward in City manager Pep Guardiola’s system of play.
Everton manager David Moyes will try to get the best out of Grealish again, with the team’s first match of the Premier League season at Leeds on Monday. Everton’s first game at its new 53,000-seat waterfront home at Bramley-Moore Dock is a week later against Brighton.
“As soon as I spoke to the manager, I knew there was only one place that I wanted to go,” Grealish said.
Grealish has swapped a likely title-contending team for one expected to be midtable at best this season.
“It was a very strange decision for him, but you can see why: Because he wants to get into the national team,” former England international Steve McManaman said at an ESPN news conference in New York.
Number 18
Grealish said he spoke to former Everton player Wayne Rooney before agreeing to the move and will wear the same number — 18 — on the back of his jersey.
“There were other numbers but my two favorite English players ever are Wayne Rooney and Paul Gascoigne and I know they both wore No. 18 here,” Grealish said.
“So, as soon as I knew this deal was close, I had a look and No. 18 was free, so that was perfect for me and it was the only number I was going to take from that point.”
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
