Former City Goalkeeper Shay Given Believes Jack Grealish is Misused

Former Manchester City goalkeeper Shay Given has voiced his opinion that Jack Grealish is “a generational talent going to waste” at Etihad Stadium. Given attributes this to Grealish being deployed in a position that is not his strongest. Grealish, who joined from Aston Villa in August 2021 for a fee of £100m, has accumulated 138 appearances under manager Pep Guardiola, with the majority of these coming as a left winger. However, his playing time has seen a reduction this season, and he has not started the majority of his nine Premier League appearances. Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Monday Night Club, Given acknowledged a potential bias, stating, “I know I’m slightly biased because I played with Jack at Aston Villa.” He further commented on Grealish’s achievements, adding, “And I know Jack has won all these trophies – Champions League, Premier Leagues and more – but he’s been playing out of position half the time since the day he joined them.” Given elaborated on his concerns regarding Grealish’s role, asserting, “He is a waste on the left wing. He’s like a mannequin at times and I feel sorry for him out there.” He then recounted a specific instance where Grealish’s performance was notably different: “I was in Dublin when he was playing for England. He was playing central and he was just monumental.” Concluding his assessment, Given reiterated his view, stating, “He is a generational talent and he is going to waste at City.” He then qualified his strong statement, adding, “That sounds a bit harsh, but he’s such a talented player playing out of position.”