Europe (UEFA)
Indonesia
Nigeria

Grealish jokes there's one thing he doesn't like about England teammate Bellingham

talksport.com, 7 December 2022, 15:10
Jack Grealish has revealed that England teammate Jude Bellingham 'is a lovely kid' and loves that he also comes from Birmingham.

But the ex-Aston Villa captain couldn't help but crack a Second City derby-themed joke when talking about the teenager's impact at the 2022 World Cup.

Advertisement

Football history suggests the England stars shouldn't be friends, given they both came through the ranks of rival clubs Aston Villa and Birmingham City.

But despite this, ex-Blues star Bellingham has recently told talkSPORT the former Villa skipper made him feel more than welcome in the England camp, giving him a massive hug when they first saw each other.

Despite being just 19-years old, Bellingham has been one of the most important players for England in Qatar - and Grealish revealed he's full of admiration for his old club's former rival.

Advertisement

"Yeah, no he's been brilliant," he said. "I didn't honestly expect anything else, the way he's started the season playing for Dortmund. Even in the Champions League he's been on fire so I didn't expect anything else.

"It's crazy to think he's only 19 years old and the way he plays you know he's so mature.

"You know I think we've all seen players in the past that have been so good but you can tell that they're young by the way they've played.

Advertisement

Advertisement

"But he plays like he's a 25, 30-year-old player that's being playing at the top for years. He's got everything honestly, he can defend, he can tackle, he can run, he can dribble, he can score, he can assist.

"So you know, fair play to him."

Of course, both players have long since moved on from their first clubs, with Grealish signing for Manchester City in 2021 and Bellingham playing for Borussia Dortmund since 2020.

But Grealish has shown that the phrase once a Villan, always a Villan, will always ring true for him, as he joked there is one Blues-related flaw in his England teammate.

Advertisement

"There's another thing that's so good about him as well, he's a really lovely kid you know at heart," Grealish said. "He's a fellow Brummy as well.

"Just a shame he doesn't support Aston Villa! That's the only problem with him."

Advertisement

Top News

29 March 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed that three of his injured troops are in with a "chance" of facing Manchester City in Sunday's crunch Premier League battle. 29 March 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United Women will look to bounce back from derby disappointment when they face Everton Ladies in Sunday's Women's Super League meeting at Leigh Sports Village. 29 March 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona head coach Xavi has insisted that he is still planning to stand down from his position at the end of the season despite the recent speculation surrounding his future. 29 March 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Wolverhampton Wanderers head coach Gary O'Neil has insisted that there is "no truth" in any rumours linking him with Manchester United. 29 March 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Bayer Leverkusen head coach Xabi Alonso has confirmed that he will remain with the Bundesliga giants for the 2024-25 campaign, ending Liverpool and Bayern Munich's hopes of securing his services this summer. 29 March 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou has confirmed a major injury boost ahead of Saturday's Premier League clash with Luton Town in North London. 29 March 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United head coach Erik ten Hag has confirmed that he is expecting to have Luke Shaw available for selection before the end of the 2023-24 campaign. 29 March 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Pep Guardiola has confirmed that defensive duo Kyle Walker and John Stones will miss Sunday's Premier League title showdown with Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium. 29 March 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Everton youngster Lewis Dobbin has picked up an ankle injury that will sideline him for the next few weeks. 29 March 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United will be bidding to improve on a recent poor record in the English capital when they head to West London on Saturday evening to tackle Thomas Frank's Brentford outfit. 29 March 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United head coach Erik ten Hag is hopeful that Lisandro Martinez will be able to feature in Saturday's Premier League clash with Brentford. 29 March 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Everton will look to avoid equalling an unwanted club-record Premier League winless run when they travel to Bournemouth on Saturday. 29 March 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Jude Bellingham will be back in the Real Madrid XI for Sunday's La Liga clash against Athletic Bilbao. 29 March 2024 sportsmole.co.uk The pick of the fixtures in game week 30 of the 2023-24 La Liga campaign will take place at Bernabeu on Sunday evening, with Real Madrid welcoming Athletic Bilbao for an intriguing affair. 29 March 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Real Sociedad will be bidding to make it three straight victories in Spain's top flight when they resume their campaign away to Basque rivals Alaves on Sunday evening. 29 March 2024 sportsmole.co.uk One of several blockbuster battles taking place on the Easter weekend, Ligue 1 powerhouses Marseille and Paris Saint-Germain cross paths for the latest instalment of Le Classique on Sunday evening. 29 March 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Feyenoord play host to FC Utrecht on Sunday afternoon knowing that they realistically need to win to remain in the Eredivisie title hunt. 29 March 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Ajax make the trip to PEC Zwolle on Sunday morning in desperate need of three points as they bid to remain in the hunt for a top-four spot in the Eredivisie standings. 29 March 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Both Girona and Real Betis will be bidding to return to winning ways in Spain's top flight when the two teams lock horns at Estadi Municipal de Montilivi on Sunday afternoon. 29 March 2024 sportsmole.co.uk The latest Pep Guardiola-Mikel Arteta Etihad reunion will be a particularly momentous one on Easter Sunday, as Premier League champions Manchester City host current table-toppers Arsenal with priceless points on the line. 29 March 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Two teams battling to stay out of the relegation zone in Spain's top flight will lock horns on Sunday afternoon, with Celta Vigo welcoming Rayo Vallecano to the Estadio Municipal de Balaidos. 29 March 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Newcastle United are allegedly preparing to rival Manchester City and Manchester United in the race to sign Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite. 29 March 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United are allegedly likely to fail in any attempt to attract Wolverhampton Wanderers head coach Gary O'Neil to Old Trafford. 29 March 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea defender Thiago Silva will leave the Premier League outfit this summer, according to Fluminense president Mario Bittencourt. 29 March 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Top-four contenders Nice return from the international break on Sunday, when Ligue 1 strugglers Nantes visit Allianz Riviera under new management. 29 March 2024 sportsmole.co.uk All transfer business is done and dusted for this season, but that doesn't stop clubs from preparing ahead for next season. 29 March 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Gil Vicente vs. Famalicao (Friday, 3.30pm) Gil Vicente and Famalicao get round 27 of the Portuguese Primeira Liga underway when they go head to head at the Estadio Cidade de Barcelos on Friday. 29 March 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Bristol City vs. Leicester (Friday, 12.30pm) Having been knocked off their Championship perch, an ailing Leicester City endeavour to reignite their title bid against Bristol City at Ashton Gate on Friday lunchtime. 29 March 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Vitoria de Guimaraes will be looking to move level with Braga in the Conference League qualification spot when they go head to head with Moreirense on Saturday. 29 March 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Two sides who could do well with all three points go head to head in round 27 of the Primeira Liga as Estoril Praia play host to Porto at the Estadio Antonio Coimbra da Mota on Saturday.