Jack Grealish in Aston Villa dreamland with FA Cup final date on horizon

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The stylish 19-year-old blossomed against Liverpool in the semi-final to follow in the footsteps of his great-grandfather, who played in the 1905 final
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Jack Grealish expressed all the natural instincts of an excitable football fan steeped in the lore of the FA Cup back in January when the competition went into shock overdrive. “Chelsea 2-4 Bradford, Man City 0-2 Middlesbrough – why we love the FA Cup!!!” he tweeted. Presumably, any thoughts at that particular moment that he would be the talk of the Villa looking ahead to the final might have provoked a suitably smart teenaged response. Belief in his own ability is one thing. But getting opportunities to show what he could do in an under-pressure team was another.

The following day, Grealish took up his regular position on Aston Villa’s substitutes’ bench. There were plenty who wondered whether another surprise might be in store as troubled Villa took on top-of-the-Championship Bournemouth. Villa made it, and Grealish got to come on for a few moments at the death. At that point in his career development, every moment of playing time mattered.