‘I didn’t help myself at times’ - Grealish opens up on what affected his performance at Man City

The England international, who joined City from Aston Villa in 2021, was a key part of the club's historic treble-winning season. 

However, his time at the Etihad has been marked by inconsistent form and scrutiny over his lifestyle before moving to Everton.

The forward has conceded that his off-field antics "didn't help" his situation at Manchester City, where he struggled to live up to his £100 million price tag.

In a candid interview, as reported by the Sun, Grealish acknowledged that some of his well-publicised nights out were ill-timed.

"People go, 'he likes to go out, he likes to party' – and I do," he told Sky Sports. "I want to be able to live my life and enjoy myself, but obviously there’s a time and a place to do that."

"Sometimes, I’ll be honest with you, I probably haven’t picked the right times," he continued. "At City, I didn’t help myself at times, I’ll openly say that – but then I don’t think it was all down to that."

The playmaker has also spoken about the tactical demands under manager Pep Guardiola, contrasting it with the freedom he enjoyed at Aston Villa.

"I don’t mean this in an arrogant way but I do like it when managers say, 'you’re the footballer, go and do what you want to do'," Grealish explained, reflecting on his preferred style of play.

"I’d rather someone just be like, 'when you get the ball Jack, just go and play'," he added, clarifying that he still understands his defensive responsibilities. 

"Obviously, you have your jobs. You have roles to do without the ball and set pieces, but he says to me, 'when you get the ball just go and do what you want to do'."