{"id":1090902,"date":"2019-05-28T12:00:26","date_gmt":"2019-05-28T11:00:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?p=1090902"},"modified":"2019-05-28T12:00:26","modified_gmt":"2019-05-28T11:00:26","slug":"aston-villa-jack-grealish-transfer","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/news\/aston-villa-jack-grealish-transfer\/","title":{"rendered":"Aston Villa star Jack Grealish admits he thought he would leave the club last summer"},"content":{"rendered":"

Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish has revealed he thought he was going to leave the club 10 months ago before this season’s Premier League return.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Villa defeated Derby County 2-1 at Wembley Stadium in the Championship play-off final on Bank Holiday Monday to secure their return to England’s top division after three years away.<\/p>\n

Grealish’s transfer saga: Five things you need to know…<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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  1. Aston Villa lost last season’s play-off final 1-0 against Fulham, leaving the club in dire straights financially.<\/li>\n
  2. Starman Grealish was heavily linked with a move to Spurs, who bid \u00a325 million<\/a> last summer.<\/li>\n
  3. However, despite Grealish’s disappointment<\/a>, Villa rejected all approaches for the midfielder.<\/li>\n
  4. This season, Grealish has impressed, scoring six goals in 31 Championship appearances and being named captain by boss Dean Smith.<\/li>\n
  5. Grealish’s contract doesn’t expire until the summer of 2023.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    https:\/\/audioboom.com\/posts\/7266091-the-season-defining-story-from-each-of-europe-s-top-five-leagues<\/p>\n

    Speaking to reporters<\/a> after Aston Villa’s impressive performance in their 2-1 play-off final victory against a Derby side led by former Chelsea man Frank Lampard, Grealish admitted that he is overjoyed with achieving promotion with his boyhood club.<\/p>\n

    However, he also publically stated that he thought he wouldn’t have the chance to achieve the fete because he wouldn’t be at the club beyond last summer in the pursuit of Premier League football.<\/p>\n

    Grealish said:\u00a0“I’m speechless, I really am. I can’t even explain to you how happy I am. It means the world, we all know where this club belongs.<\/p>\n

    “I thought I was going, 10 months later I’m here now and I’ve led my boyhood club back to the Premier League as captain and scored against the Blues twice – perfect season.”<\/p>\n