Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish receives first England call-up

England manager Gareth Southgate righted a wrong in the eyes of many on Monday when he called Aston Villa captain and midfielder Jack Grealish into the national team for a pair of September Nations League fixtures.

As noted by talkSport and other outlets, the 24-year-old was added to the Three Lions squad after Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Harry Winks and Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford withdrew from the team.

England play Iceland on Sept. 5 and Denmark on Sept. 8.

Grealish was sensational during the 2019-20 season and played a massive role in keeping Villa in the top flight after the club finished the pandemic-altered campaign 17th in the table. Nevertheless, Southgate surprised many by initially leaving the play-maker off his squad.

Former Premier League midfielder Jamie O’Hara recently blasted Southgate for that decision during a talkSport appearance: 

“I think it’s personal as well. Not in terms of he doesn’t like Grealish as a person. When you look at Grealish with the mistakes he’s made in the past, his off the pitch antics, that’s where the problems lie with Southgate.

“Southgate doesn’t trust him. He doesn’t trust him to put him in the squad and give him the highest honour of playing for England.

“Come on, he’s been one of the best players in the Premier League in a poor side. I think Grealish has been Villa’s standout performer, he’s been fantastic for them.

“It’s not about his performances, it’s that Southgate doesn’t trust him to put him in that England squad and behave himself.”

Southgate made headlines last week when he called Manchester United captain and England defender Harry Maguire into his team on the same day that Maguire was found guilty of aggravated assault, resisting arrest and repeated attempts of bribery. The manager subsequently dropped Maguire for September's fixtures.