Jack Grealish is no stranger to rough treatment as he glides past Premier League defenders, with Dean Smith repeatedly claiming the midfielder is unfairly targeted.
The Aston Villa manager has called for more protection for his prized asset, who regularly tops his division’s most-fouled list.
However, he has stopped short of threatening violence himself – as one managerial duo did early in the England star’s career.
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Grealish was only 17 when he moved on loan to Notts County. He went on to 40 appearances for County in the 2013/14 season, a campaign which ended with one of the greatest escapes in the club’s history.
Five goals and seven assists marked him out early on a rare talent and the experienced players in League One didn’t take too kindly to being embarrassed by a teenager.
Behind the scenes, manager Shaun Derry and his staff were concerned he was being deliberately targeted.
It eventually came to a head in a game against Stevenage when he was the victim of a thumping tackle as he weaved his way across the pitch. He needed to be substituted due to the injury he sustained as a result and tempers snapped in the dugout. Derry, who was particularly protective of Grealish, flew into a rage and during his post-match interview, sounded the alarm.
“Teams are being clever,” he said. “One player hits him. Then another. Then another. It’s really disappointing.”
In the aftermath, County’s backroom staff were so incensed by what they had seen, they were described as being ready to exchange punches rather than post-match pleasantries. The tradition of managers sharing a drink was rejected in protest by Derry because the jubilation of their 1-0 victory had been marred by Grealish’s injury.
“Shaun and myself were ready to knock a few people out after that game,” recalled County’s former assistant manager Greg Abbott in the Birmingham Mail. “But during that season, some of the treatment Jack was subjected to became a real concern. I’ve fought all my life to be competitive, but there was always fairness with me. There were some who wanted to kick him off the park, but to want to do that to a 17-year-old is not quite right.
“We haven’t got enough talent to in this country for players like Jack to be subjected to the treatment like he had to endure. It was almost a case of look ‘we’ve got to stop Jack at all costs’ and that wasn’t right. After that Stevenage game, we had to put our arm around him and made sure he was okay because he could have quite easily thought ‘do you know what? This isn’t for me this.’
“We just reassured him that he had to take it as a compliment. Of course you understand there is a competitive edge, but there is a line that shouldn’t be crossed. But he dealt with that brilliantly. He got back into the team very quickly and was soon back playing well for us again.”
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