Video summary
Jack Grealish has officially returned to Everton, expressing immense joy and relief after spending six months recovering from an injury while remaining connected to the club. Despite the difficulties of his rehabilitation period, he cherished every moment spent training with his teammates and interacting with the staff, which solidified his desire to come back. He emphasized that his happiness at the Merseyside club was never in doubt, noting that even when away, he constantly thought about returning to a place where he felt so deeply valued by everyone from the management to the players.
The connection Grealish feels with Evertonians and the club's atmosphere was immediate and profound, particularly highlighted by his win as Premier League Player of the Month early in his first season there. He recalled specific moments, such as the warm reception from fans during his debut against Leeds and the supportive environment at Finch Farm, which made him feel at home quickly. This sense of belonging extended to his relationship with manager David Moyes, whose leadership and personal character were cited as a major factor in his decision to return, alongside the genuine love he receives from the passionate fanbase that has supported him through thick and thin.
Beyond his emotional reunion, Grealish is eager to contribute to the team's success by leveraging his experience to help younger players like Tyrick Mitchell and Harrison. He acknowledged the importance of blending youth with veteran wisdom, noting that his presence can inspire the next generation to push themselves harder every day. With a strengthened squad featuring proven Premier League talents, he expressed excitement about competing at a high level and helping the team challenge for European qualification, aiming to make up for lost time from the previous season.
Grealish is now fully fit and ready to resume training, feeling emotionally prepared to wear the royal blue shirt once again. He described his anticipation as overwhelming, stating that he cannot wait to return to Goodison Park for the upcoming match against Manchester United. After a period where football was taken away from him due to injury, being back on the pitch represents a significant emotional victory for him. As he prepares for tomorrow's training session and the weekend fixture, he is smiling with gratitude and excitement, ready to embrace the new challenge of helping Everton achieve their goals.
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Well, Jack, welcome back to Everton. Now
you've returned. How does it feel?
>> Yeah, so good. Uh, obviously so happy.
Um, I had a perfect time here for the
first 6 months. Uh, obviously I stayed
here, you know, when I got injured. So,
I enjoyed that as much as I could. Uh
obviously, you know, it weren't it
weren't nice being injured, but um yeah,
coming here every day to to do my rehab
and see the lads and stuff. Um yeah, I
loved it. So that's one of the reasons
why I wanted to come back here.
>> You made it clear last season how happy
you were at Everton. Um a player of your
talent would have had plenty of options,
but was it always on your mind that this
was the place that you wanted to return
to?
>> Yeah, for sure. Uh even when my misses
says to someone today, she was like, I
just felt like Everton was always just
in his mind to go back there and and it
was, you know, um you know, even even
after I got injured, you know, the club
was so good with me through through
difficult moments and the manager and um
and yeah, I just had such a good
relationship with everyone here, you
know, especially the fans, but also the
players and stuff like this. So, uh,
yeah, I'm so happy to be back and
hopefully I can make up, you know, for
some, um, for some lost time last
season.
>> You seem to get that connection with the
club really quickly last season. You
kind of said some really, you know,
lovely things about Everton and
Evertonians.
What was it especially about Everton
that kind of got you got you hooked so
quickly?
>> I don't know. You know, I can't really
just put put it on one thing. Uh,
obviously when I come here, I started
really well. And I I won player a month
in the Premier Premier League, which
I've not done before. I feel like that
obviously set it off nice. And then I
remember when when we played Wolves
away, I just felt like there was a
really good feel around the place, you
know, at that time. And um yeah, I feel
like it just started so nicely. Um yeah,
I felt like I was playing well here. I
was playing every week, enjoying it. I
remember just like little stuff me like
I remember the reception that I got when
I come out to warm up against Leads in
my first game. Um, I come onto the pitch
with the other guys that were subs and
yeah, I remember the fans that were in
the stadium at the time. The away fans,
you know, give me such a nice welcome.
Um, I've always just felt so much love,
you know, from the fans. Uh
and yeah, it started off really well,
you know, winning player of the month
and uh since then, yeah, I feel like it
just got stronger and stronger and um
even when you know, I go going to the
town center and stuff like this, I feel
like, yeah, the tough is always so good
with me. So yeah, I love it here and uh
I love the connection that I have with
the fans and um yeah, hopefully it can
continue.
>> I was going to ask about the connection
with Everton. We've got a passionate fan
base, but they've seem to kind of taken
you from day one as well. The fact that,
you know, one more year, Jackie Greish
Chance, and the fact that they're all I
think everyone was checking your social
media accounts every day and hoping that
Everton didn't come away from it and so
on. That's obviously important to you,
isn't it? To feel the love from them.
>> No, 100%.
Uh, I feel like I'm at my best when, you
know, just in everything in life, not
just in football, just when, you know, I
feel love and um, yeah, I feel loved and
and that's what even, you know, going
back to the manager, that's what the
managers give me, what my teammates are
give me, and yeah, like you said, you
know, especially what the fans have
given me. Um, every time I see an
Everton fan, you know, it's just pure
love and and the way they yeah, welcome
me since that first game against Leads.
I'll never really forget that. So, um,
and it means a lot, you know, it means a
lot to me, stuff like that.
>> You mentioned David Moyes there and, you
know, you've come across very popular
around Finch Farm as staff and teammates
as well. So, how influential was that as
well and wanting to come back and making
you feel at home and the manager like I
say?
>> Yeah, I love him the manager. I think
he's uh I think he's such a great guy
and um yeah, he was a big a big reason
why I wanted to come back here. Um you
know, I've had certain managers in the
past where I feel like I've played my
best football under them and he he falls
into that category for sure. So um that
was a massive factor in me coming back.
Obviously, like I said, you know, I get
on well with so many of the lads. Um
have a close connection with them. So
yeah, that was a big thing and and I'm
at a point, you know, in my life where I
just I want to be like happy, you know,
the last 6 months were a real struggle
for me. Um I've never been out injured
for that long and just yeah over stuff.
So I just I'm at a point yeah where I
want to be happy and uh that's what I am
when I'm here playing football.
>> And we've seen you back in action
already this season for Manchester City.
So, after the support from the medical
team, how are you fitness-wise?
>> I feel good. I'm ready to go. Um, yeah,
I I probably didn't expect to be playing
so quick at Man City, but I thank the
manager at Man City for giving me that
chance. Uh, he's also a top top guy who
I can't speak highly enough of. Um,
Enzo Mesa, so I want to thank him first,
you know, for for giving me the chance
to play and get my fitness back and
stuff like that. But I'm here now and I
have a new challenge and uh yeah, man. I
feel good. I'm ready to ready to start
training in tomorrow and uh yeah, get
myself prepared for these games.
>> And how much are you looking forward to
picking up where you left off because
you had such an impact on the pitch last
season, your winners against Crystal
Palace and Bournemouth and you were top
of the assists for Premier League as
well. So just just eager to continue
that when you're when you get back on
the pitch.
>> Yeah, for sure. I loved it here and on
the pitch. I had such a good connection,
you know, with a lot of players here,
especially,
you know, down my side of the pitch,
which was like, yeah, Mo and Ken and,
you know, sometimes played as like a
left eight. And yeah, I felt like I had
a really good connection with them guys
around me. Um, but also, you know, I
says to the manager, I'm happy to just
play wherever
I I am. You know, I know that Tyreek has
has come in and done really well. Um,
so yeah, I've been watching all that
Everton's games, you know, the preseason
games and the games so far and and
Tyreek has done really well, you know,
so I'm here to to help him as well. Do
you know what I mean? I have quite a lot
of experience playing in the Premier
League and and winning a few trophies
along the way. So where I can help
people, I will. And uh yeah, I would
just play wherever. As long as I'm on
the pitch, you know, I can I'm sure I
can help the team. So, um, yeah, looking
forward to it.
>> That was exactly going to be my next
question actually about as well as what
you bring on the pitch, what you bring
off it as well. So, you mentioned
Tyreek, but we've got some young players
like him, like Tyler, like Harrison in
the center midfield as well. So, how
important is it for you to use your
experience and you know what you've done
in the game as well to bring these young
players on?
Yeah, it's massive because do you know
what I think sometimes like
now teams you know might always want
like younger players or whatever which
for sure you need but also sometimes you
know you need experience as well and the
older place you know T is always
brilliant here you know everyone knows
how good Sheamus was around the place um
and and people like Sheamus Senti, even
for me when I come here, you want to
impress them, you know, every day cuz
they have this thing about them like
being experienced and and you want to
impress them every day. It makes you
want to do more. So, um hopefully uh
some of the young guys here think that
of me hopefully and you know can push
themselves every day cuz that was also a
big factor you know why I come back here
because as much as I love the club you
know I also I want to like compete and
challenge at a good level which I feel
like we was last season um you know in
January time I'm sure we was only four
or five points off off uh the European
players faces. So, um yeah, you know,
the the the club has brought in some
really good players. Um obviously
Hayden, uh from Middlesbrough, uh
Norard, um
obviously Brennan Johnson, you know,
there's a there's a lot of players like
this that have
that have um proven in the Premier
League. Um you know, even Norard won the
Premier League last season, so I feel
like this will be really important. And
yeah, I look at our our team now and I'm
excited by it, you know, especially even
like our midfield for example, you know,
I feel like our midfield, which is
probably the most important
important part on the pitch. I feel like
that's really strong this year. So, I'm
looking forward to uh to see what we can
all do together.
>> And then just finally, you wearing the
royal blue shirt now. How much you
looking forward to putting it back on
and Hill Dickinson and hopefully against
Manchester United at the weekend?
>> Yeah. No, I can't wait. I can't wait.
Yeah. Um
I've been
doing everything I can the last what
couple of months just to just to be as
fit as possible. Um
and yeah just to just to get back to
this moment. So um even like you know
when I first was back training and back
on the pitching I felt kind of emotional
because I don't know this what all I
want you know is just to play football.
So when that gets taken away from you,
it's difficult sometimes. But um yeah,
I'm so happy to be back now. And
uh yeah, I'll be going to sleep tonight
with a smile on my face, ready for ready
for training tomorrow. And then um yeah,
I can't wait to be back at the Hill
Dickerson on Sunday.