Grealish calls out Souness over criticism - 'I don't know what his problem is with me'

England playmaker Jack Grealish has laughed off Graeme Souness' criticism of his performance since joining Manchester City.

It's been just over a year since the former Aston Villa captain completed an eye-catching £100m move to the Etihad Stadium.

Grealish says heightened pressure and scrutiny is "an integral part" of representing City and England, with that mentality perhaps explaining why he was able to take Souness's latest jibes in his stride.< /p>

The former Liverpool manager and captain said this week the 27-year-old was 'not a great player' and should have improved more since joining City, where he thought he would think faster and move the ball faster.

"I don't know what his problem is with me," Grealish said with a laugh. “He always says things about me! But I try not to read a lot.

"It's tough, you know, when he's on talkSPORT or Sky Sports, and sometimes it's all over the training ground.

"Look, he was obviously a great player and he won a lot but I know he has a lot to do...I don't know about what he says about me or what problem he has. I know my own abilities.

"I know before he said a lot about me not moving the ball faster, but when I play for a manager like Pep Guardiola and he tells me to keep the ball as much as possible and to have the balls to take it everywhere, that's what I'm going to try to do.

"Obviously I'm always going to have people, if I don't play well (critical). Look, I know in myself, I always watch my games and stuff like that and I'm very critical of myself- same.

“I know there were games, especially in the second half of last season, where I was not at my best at all.

"Unfortunately for me, I came back in pre-season, I got back in shape where I had a good pre-season, then I got injured in the second game.

"But from now on, I'm just going to try to put my head down and try to get back to that physical shape because I know I'm not 100% yet. I think I've only played 90 minutes this season.

"But, yes, I think I will always have people behind me, but I just have to try to go play."

Grealish seems to be taking it all in his stride, admitting the exam "probably affects my family more than me" having learned to deal with it over the years.

"It's more if someone like my mum or dad said it, I'd listen a lot more," he said ahead of England's Nations League clash in Italy on Friday.

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"But, yeah, sometimes when people say it - whether it's trolls on Twitter or Instagram or stuff like that - I don't mind at all.

"I think it's part and parcel of what we have to play for the national team and to play for big clubs in England.

"I don't think I'm the only one, I think there are several. I think we just have to learn to deal with this.

"Obviously, over time, I learned to deal with that.

"When I signed for Man City and the price and the stuff that goes with it, I knew it wasn't going to be any laughs, unless I start like Erling Haaland. I think that's the only way not to be punished!

"Obviously I'm not going to sit here and say 'nothing ever affects me', because sometimes it does. I'm a 27-year-old kid, so I had to learn how to deal with that ."

Grealish was in the spotlight long before he became a star player due to off-field behavior earlier in his career.

The attacking midfielder's professionalism was again called into question over the summer following his celebrations during City's title parade and subsequent holiday.

Grealish thinks the criticism is unfair but knows he has work to do to reach his best for City and England.

"I'm like a normal kid, you know?" he said. "I feel like I'm doing what a lot of other footballers do, but sometimes I think I get more attention when I'm on vacation in Ibiza or Vegas or something.

"After that, I put pictures of me working. I don't know if many people talked about it.

"I tried to get back as fit as possible and felt like I had succeeded. I saw the manager say that about me many times.

"I know who I am and how professional I am and I hope I can just bring my performance back to where I was, when I'm playing at my best.

"I know how good I am when I'm at my best, so hopefully I can get it back and get back to my fitness as soon as possible."