Jack Grealish has expressed his heartbreak over being excluded from England’s squad for the European Championship, stating that being left out by Gareth Southgate was devastating for him.
This comes after Gareth Southgate, the England manager, announced his final squad list for the tournament, and Grealish’s name was notably absent.
Despite having a successful season with Manchester City, Grealish did not make the cut, which led to widespread surprise and disappointment among fans and analysts.
“When you are on your holidays, every time you turn on the phone or the TV you just see it [the tournament], so it was hard not to see,” Grealish said.
“I’ll be honest, football-wise it was the most difficult thing I’ve ever had to deal with in terms of my own career.
“I was absolutely heartbroken. For myself now moving forward, I have to just try and use that as motivation going into this season. I felt I should have been in the [England] squad.
“I feel like I offer something different to players in the England squad. But it is what it is.
“As I said, it was the hardest moment for me as a footballer. I’ve had a lot of ups and downs in my career.“