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da stake casino： Aston Villa midfielder Jack Grealish captained the club for the first time in their 4-0 win against Derby County at Villa Park on Saturday after being handed the armband by manager Dean Smith, and it is something that should have happened a lot sooner.
On the chalkboard
Despite being a Villa boy and making 132 appearances in all competitions for them, the 23-year-old had never been trusted with skippering the Midlands outfit – until his 133rd outing at the weekend that is.
The former England U21 international was making his comeback following three months on the sidelines with a shin injury, and he wasted no time showing what the club has been missing with a stunning first-time volley as the hosts raced into a 4-0 half-time lead against Frank Lampard’s visitors.
It wasn’t just his quality on the ball that was impressive however, as Grealish showed the leadership qualities that he has throughout his 71 minutes on the pitch, before he was replaced by Tom Carroll.
Should have happened sooner?
Without a doubt.
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While Steve Bruce and now Smith have players like James Chester and Alan Hutton to choose from to captain the side, it seems crazy that Grealish had never been given the gig before – especially during the current campaign and with the departure of John Terry in the summer.
The 23-year-old is ready-made to captain Villa, and his display on Saturday proves it is an added pressure that won’t weigh down on his shoulders – instead, it appeared to give him an extra spring in his step.
The decision may have come earlier had he been fit and available in the previous three months, but the former Brentford boss still had nine Championship matches with the midfielder before the injury setback – now it looks as though the gamble could be the catalyst for a late push for the play-offs.