FORMER IRELAND CAPTAIN Andy Townsend has urged Jack Grealish to show that he is committed and declare for the Boys in Green.
The Aston Villa youngster was in Dublin last night where he was named U21 International Player of the Year at the 3/FAI International Football Awards.
Grealish, 19, had asked not to be considered for recent U21 squads in order to focus on his club form but hinted last night that he will pull on the green jersey again later this year.
Asked about Grealish’s will-he-or-won’t-he decision, and the possibility that he might still declare for England, Townsend said: “I’m sure he’ll form his own opinion but my advice would be to go grab the opportunity.
“He’s a really good little player. I really like Jack.
“I think he’s got a tremendous future and I think he’s going to figure a lot at Aston Villa under Tim, maybe not so much between now and the end of the season for obvious reasons, but I think as a young boy he’ll get opportunities under Tim Sherwood.
“That will shove him right in the limelight and I think he’ll be great for us here, I really do.”
He added: “He’s here with his family tonight and it’s a big night for him, but I’m sure Martin will also have a quiet word and say, ‘Look Jack, we want you to play.’
You can’t have forever and a day to make your mind up, you can’t have it all your own way, you can’t just sit there and say, ‘I’ll let you know when I’m ready.’ It’s not like that.
“Jack’s got to want to play, he’s got to want to be part of it, he’s got to want to commit the best years of his career to playing for Ireland. If he wants to do that, then he’s going to have to turn around in the very near future and do that.
“I think he should. I think he could be a real key ingredient and a very good player for Ireland in years to come, and I hope he does. He won’t regret it.”
Townsend, who played at two World Cups for Ireland and captained the squad at USA 94, was presented with the Hall of Fame Award at last night’s ceremony.
Afterwards he had a few words of advice for Grealish, whom he believes can emulate Spurs sensation Harry Kane.
“I’ve just said to him now, ‘You need to get your head down this summer and graft and get ready for a big, big year next year’ because he will get opportunities at Villa but you only get so many. You only get so many chances in this world so he needs to be ready to take it.
If he does that, you’ve only got to look at what Harry Kane has done at Spurs this year. He’s a different player but I think Jack has got the same sort of character and the same makeup in that he loves playing, he wants to play, he wants to be involved.
“I think this summer is going to be big for Jack Grealish and I hope that he can sit down with Martin and come to the decision that he’s played all of his formative years with us and he can play his senior years as well.”
