Jack Grealish believes he should have been part of England’s Euro 2024 squad and says he “can’t speak highly enough” of interim manager Lee Carsley.
Grealish, 29, admitted he was “devastated” at missing out on Gareth Southgate’s squad for the tournament, which the Three Lions reached the final of before they lost 2-1 to Spain.
Southgate has since stepped down and been replaced by interim boss Carsley, who started the Manchester City forward in both of their games since.
“I will be honest with you – I didn’t really agree with it,” Grealish told BBC Radio 5 Live on Southgate’s decision.
Grealish admitted he “didn’t have the best season” for his club, but said: “You need a bit of a balance in every position on the pitch and I class myself [as] quite an experienced player now.
“I have won a lot of stuff now so, you asked me should I have gone, yes, I still think I should have, but obviously it wasn’t meant to be.”
Grealish was back in the fold in September and admitted he felt he had a point to prove on his return, adding: “Of course, I wanted to come here and train well and play well.
“I thank the manager Lee Carsley for giving me that chance and having that trust in me.
“It obviously really meant a lot, I think throughout my career when I have played under managers who have shown trust in me and communicated with me the way he has the last two camps, it really helps me.
“It makes me feel that the manager really does rate me and I can’t speak highly enough of him since I have been here.”
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Grealish started against Republic of Ireland and Finland last month, netting against the former as England recorded consecutive 2-0 wins.
The former Aston Villa captain is also celebrating the birth of his first child hailing it as “the best moment of my life”.
After being present for the birth last Friday, Grealish then travelled to Newcastle, arriving after midnight, before he started the 12:30pm kick-off.
“I don’t really know how to explain it, you know you feel so many good moments in your life but that just tops everything,” Grealish said.
