Jack Grealish must "grow up" over the coming months in order to earn the trust of both Manchester City and England bosses Pep Guardiola and Gareth Southgate, according to pundit Roy Keane.
The former Aston Villa winger, who joined the Citizens last summer following a sparkling Euro 2020 run in a British record deal, has drawn headlines as much for his actions off the pitch as on it since arriving at the Etihad Stadium.
Grealish made a goalscoring return to the starting XI in Tuesday's 2-0 win over Peterborough United in the FA Cup fifth round - but now Keane has warned that he must pull his proverbial socks up to really show his mettle.
What has been said?
"I think it’s crunch time for Man City over the next few months," Keane stated when addressing how Grealish must step up to the plate with ITV. "This is where you will really test as a player, crunch games.
"Jack’s had a few injury problems, [and has] probably been criticised a little bit for his off-field stuff but I think what Jack has to do is grow up and get the trust of Pep. He probably hasn’t got that yet, same with England, I don’t think Gareth [Southgate] trusts him that much yet.
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"[It's a] good opportunity for him [against Peterborough]. Whatever Jack’s doing off the field, it does take its toll when you’re an attacking player, it’s another opportunity for Jack. I do think it’s about time he grew up."
How has Grealish fared so far?
Since arriving at the Etihad Stadium, Grealish has found himself arguably closer to the edges than the centre of Guardiola's rotating squad tactics, though not necessarily through any fault of his own.
While his off-field behaviour has been noted, two injury lay-offs this term have restricted his chances - but when he has been available, he has often been a starting pick, with all but two of his Premier League apperarances this term coming from the starting XI.
As for international level, if anything, Grealish appears to have improved his standing post-Euro 2020, starting several of Southgate's Qatar 2022 qualifiers and helping England ensure a smooth qualification for this year's tournament.