When Manchester City players had some downtime in a Croydon hotel on Friday night, Jack Grealish headed straight to his room and switched on the iPad.
I had been binge-watching a series, with the itch that I really needed to finish it.
What he may not have expected is that Netflix and the cold made him almost cry. Grealish had a 49-minute episode left of the documentary detailing City’s Treble season, so he sat there, reliving it, overcome with emotion.
And then came arguably his best performance of this campaign at Crystal Palace 15 hours later. The two things could well be related.
“I know this is a bit deep,” Grealish said. “The last episode especially moved me, made me want to do it again and made me think.
Jack Grealish impressed as Man City beat Crystal Palace to keep their title hopes alive
Grealish was at the center of City’s celebrations when they won the treble last season.
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“At the end of the day, this is the youngest I’ll be, so I have to try to enjoy the moment. Because I’m not going to play in the Champions League for the rest of my life.
“Personally, it’s been a difficult season for me after the good times last year.”
There has been introspection on Grealish since he became the poster boy for City’s historic night in Istanbul last June.
By his own admission, he has struggled to accept the magnitude of the achievement – only the second English team to complete a clean sweep – and has no doubt contributed to what has happened since.
Palace was only making their ninth start to the Premier League campaign.
Pep Guardiola has had several conversations with the 28-year-old about life, about hunger and what it means to return, how to remain relentless in the pursuit of excellence.
The manager has chosen, at different times, to make his scathing statements public.
There was a suggestion that a lack of optimal fitness played a role in one of Grealish’s three injuries. He wanted him to be “angry” about losing his spot to Jeremy Doku. And some intermittent references to his formation are shown.
But the message of the last week is that “Jack is back.” He returns just in time, and Grealish himself wants to make up for what he lost.
City are determined to defend their Champions League crown against Real Madrid next.
Jack Grealish’s love for Bovril is shown in new Man City Netflix documentary
His cockapoo Skye is also very dear to him and is allowed to run around on the training ground.
“Sometimes this season I’ve had problems with myself,” he said. ‘Sometimes you sit there and think how can you top last year? Will any happiness ever come close to that?
‘In myself I feel like I’m coming back now. You need that hunger. The director has been very good to me. I owe him a little bit. He has been there for me all the time.
‘A great guy with a very good heart, the best coach who ever lived. I want to pay him now.’
There is absolutely no doubt that when Grealish comes along, City are a better unit, and it should start at the Bernabeu on Tuesday night when the Champions League quarter-finals arrive.
His ball handling will be crucial as taking out defenders, like Kevin De Bruyne’s impressive opener on Saturday, is an often overlooked trait.
That move for City’s equalizer sums up Grealish’s game. He didn’t register any assists because his cut-back for De Bruyne bounced off a Palace defender, so it’s another game in which he hasn’t improved his stats, but that doesn’t bother Guardiola.
Number 10 does things before the big ones. And important things would not be possible without it.
Grealish likes to spend time with Skye and his girlfriend Sasha Attwood (left) on the grass.
His sense of humor and infectious personality make him a hit throughout the documentary.
When he roamed wherever he wanted at Aston Villa, Grealish presumably never imagined perfecting the role of a gentleman (turning here and there, manipulating space) for anyone.
‘I thought it might be the same as at Villa, but it’s not!’ he said. “The only person who has been able to do what he wants in Pep’s team is Messi, which is quite fair.
Grealish celebrates with Kevin De Bruyne after the Belgian’s goal at Selhurst Park
‘I talk to my friends in the locker room every day and I know how important I am to the team. It seems that I play in the important games.
“I saw (Karim) Benzema say it last season in an interview: everyone is very focused on goals and assists. I want to score, because in football there is no better feeling than scoring goals, but it is a team game.
‘I feel like I contribute a lot more to the team than just goals and assists. If you watch the Palace game you will see that I played well. It’s a shame that everyone likes statistics now.’
Grealish has always been criticized at City, but when he says that he always starts on the most important stages, he is absolutely right. And there is a reason for that.
Real Madrid had a great role in the penultimate episode of Netflix, the wild second leg of the semifinal. Grealish started both games, the 4-0 demolition at home following a tense 1-1 draw in Spain.
There will be nervousness again on Tuesday, but Guardiola’s team believes it is already prepared for these nights.
The winger beat Dani Carvajal during City’s victory over Real Madrid last season
“That second leg, that night, I think was one of my favorite moments as a footballer,” Grealish said. ‘It was so special. They are the moments you live for. Real Madrid, whether or not it has a great team, is always there.
“But this club is on the rise. “It makes me happy to be a part of this and the way it is carried out from the bottom to the top is very special.”
For the record, he didn’t cry when he said that last sentence.