"Drunken Master": Jack Grealish's Star Career Takes a Sharp Dive

Pep Guardiola avoids giving straight answers about the footballer's antics.

The day after the match against Plymouth, Jack Grealish was spotted leaving a bar in Newcastle. The footage quickly spread across British media, yet it was merely the conclusion of the English player's journey that day.

This story began earlier in Gorton, a district of Manchester, at the Lord Nelson pub. There, the Manchester City footballer spent several hours happily posing for photographs with local fans outside the venue. Next up was the North Biddick club, where Grealish continued to draw attention. In addition to posing for photos and friendly conversations, he generously treated patrons to drinks, leaving around €600 behind.

One local resident who was at the club described how Jack spent his time:

"He was with a couple of friends who live nearby. I think they just wanted a quiet pint somewhere Jack wouldn't be bothered. But word spread rapidly, and soon people started arriving from everywhere to see him. You definitely wouldn't expect to meet a star of his level at a place like this.

He was a very, very nice guy. He had no problem just sitting around chatting with locals and happily posing for pictures. But paying for everyone's drinks — that was amazing. He didn't have to do it, but he did, and it showed his generosity. He'd definitely be welcome back anytime."

The final stop was an Irish pub called The Dubliner near Newcastle, where Grealish was filmed holding a bottle. Pep Guardiola had to face questions about his player's pub crawl at a press conference. Asked directly about the incident, Guardiola replied:

"He is so famous. People follow him. There's nothing to comment on."

When asked about players' behavior off the pitch, Pep said:

"They know what they need to do. They have their private lives, and they can do whatever they want. I'm not going to control everything they do off the pitch. I judge what I see on the field, in training sessions, and in matches. Those are the criteria I use to evaluate my players.

Of course, I want Jack in his best shape, but he's had a difficult spell and hasn't played much. However, that's due to injuries; he hasn't been able to get into the rhythm needed to play every three days."

This season, Grealish has struggled for playing time. He's appeared in 26 games across all competitions but started only 14 of them, scoring two goals and providing five assists. His last goal contribution came more than a month ago against Leyton Orient in the FA Cup. Grealish himself commented on the situation:

“The whole past year was strange because my little daughter was born. But apart from that, this year was one of the most challenging—perhaps the toughest year of my life — for many reasons, both on and off the pitch.

I feel that in the last few matches I played — against Palace, Salford, and Orient — I tried to make a bigger impact.

Sometimes it's difficult for me to keep going in and out of matches; I’m not truly playing consistently. Hopefully, I can continue training well and playing regularly going forward.”

Everyone remembers how passionately Grealish celebrated City's trophies, though many noted even then that he should avoid getting carried away with alcohol.

Jack's current contract expires in summer 2027. According to Transfermarkt, his market value is now €45 million.

Published by Patrick Jane
11.03.2025