Jack Grealish is "better off" staying at Aston Villa if he's called up to the England squad, according to Tony Daley, who says a rumoured target for Manchester United needs to be playing regularly.
United are reportedly weighing up a summer bid for Grealish after his outstanding 2019-20 campaign at Villa.
The 24-year-old helped Dean Smith's side retain their Premier League status by scoring eight goals and laying on six assists in 36 appearances, and he is now being tipped to take the next step forward in his fledgeling career.
Grealish is also being touted for a spot in Gareth Southgate's latest England squad ahead of upcoming UEFA Nation's League matches, with international football finally set to resume after the postponement of the European Championships.
The tournament has been rescheduled to take place in 2021, and Daley believes the Villa talisman will have a better chance of featuring if he snubs a big-money move to Old Trafford.
Grealish has also been linked with Spurs, but a former Villa star has urged him to stay put due to the fact he is guaranteed a starting berth under Smith.
“If Jack goes, he’ll have everyone’s blessing here at Villa because of what he’s just done for the club,” Daley told the Daily Star.
“But if he’s been picked for England already, he might think he’s better off staying with Villa, where he’s settled and plays every week.
“The Euros are coming up next summer – and Jack needs to be playing to stay in Southgate’s plans.”
The ex-Villa winger added on Grealish deserving an opportunity on the international stage: “I agree Jack now warrants a place in the England squad. He gave consistently good performances last season.
“When he was in the Championship, there were doubts if he could do it in the Premier League. Fair enough. But he’s now proved he can.
“Yes, there were ups and downs last season but people need to understand the immense pressure on his shoulders to keep Villa up. Everyone looked to Jack to deliver every game.
“But, when it mattered in the final few games, there was this new maturity about Jack, which really came to the fore.
“He didn’t try to do everything on his own. He realised Villa had to play as a team – and you could see how others around him responded to that.
“It seems England will have a bigger squad than normal next week. That means Jack must get in, surely? I believe he’s done enough to be picked in this squad.
“He’s shown what a talent he is at Villa - and he’ll go up another level with the national team, with even better players alongside him."