sport news Jack Grealish opens up on sister's cerebral palsy and dedicating his World Cup ... trends now

Jack Grealish is holding court and has his audience eating from the palm of his hand. Like a seasoned storyteller, he has you in fits of laughter one moment and pangs of sadness the next.

‘I think sometimes footballers get told what to say in interviews,’ says Grealish. ‘But why would I sit here and say to you, “I go home, I sit in my room”, when I don’t do that?’.

Sitting at England’s Al Wakrah training complex on the outskirts of Doha, the Manchester City star stays true to his word.

Refreshingly forthright and captivatingly charming, Grealish confronts every question with searing honesty, producing 29 minutes of box-office entertainment from one of the Premier League’s most talented players.

The 27-year-old speaks openly about his Coronation Street-mad sister Hollie, who suffers from cerebral palsy, and the difficulties she has seeing her brother play because she is visually impaired.

He is candid about the regrets he harbours over insulting Newcastle forward Miguel Almiron and his attempts to repair the damage through former Aston Villa colleague Matt Targett.

Grealish is particularly animated when discussing the modern day obsession with statistics and why the numbers can paint a false picture of a player.

Then last, but by no means least, there is his father Kevin’s World Cup Union Jack inspired attire.

‘He had a little bow-tie as well but my mum told him to take it off — I don’t know where he’s got it from, it looks like something from the market, doesn’t it?’

But let’s begin with Almiron. During City’s title celebrations last summer, Grealish — slightly the worse for wear — was standing next to team-mate Bernardo Silva when a camera phone panned in his direction.

Silva asked Grealish what triggered their final day comeback against Aston Villa that clinched the title. His answer was jovial, but Almiron would not have seen the funny side.

‘There were two secrets — one, Riyad (Mahrez), take him off the pitch, as soon as possible. He played like Almiron,’ said Grealish at the time.

The footage went viral. Perhaps Grealish’s drunken remarks were the catalyst for Almiron’s excellent form this season. But that is neither here nor there for Grealish, who has confessed to embarrassment at the whole affair.

‘I haven’t actually been asked about that and let me just address it,’ he started.

‘I do some f*****g stupid stuff sometimes that I do regret. It was the day after the season finished and obviously I’d had a few drinks. Then I remember I was in Ibiza and it (the video) had obviously come out.

‘That was one thing I regret. I do stupid stuff and that was one.

‘I swear, I’m actually buzzing at the way he’s reacted. He said something about me in an interview the other day, he wished me the best.

‘I thought, “What a guy” because if somebody had said that about me, I’d have probably been the other way.

‘I messaged Matt Targett because I’m close with him from Villa and I said to him, “Can you message him for me and say to him that I apologise”.

‘I thought the video was private. But even in private I shouldn’t have said it because he’s a fellow professional.’

Grealish has featured in all three of England’s games at the World Cup, albeit from the bench.