London: England midfielder Jack Grealish has admitted that he needed to transform himself off the pitch in order to put in more consistent performances.
His remark came as England defeated Iceland 4-0 on Wednesday (local time) in the Nations League at the Wembley Stadium. Phil Foden scored two goals for England, while Declan Rice and Mason Mount registered one goal each.
“I didn’t think it was on the pitch where pressure impacted me but it was more off the pitch that I thought I was Jack from Solihull that could go out and do what you want,” Goal.com quoted Grealish as saying.
“As you get older, you learn that you are a hero and role model to younger lads. You need to watch what you are doing. That’s not to say that I won’t make mistakes, I probably still will. I feel like I have grown up over the years. Hopefully, I can carry on doing that. I am a captain of a Premier League club and I just need to take it in my stride. At the moment, I absolutely love my life,” he added.
The 25-year-old Grealish is one of only two players to start all three games for England in the international break in November.
“I have really enjoyed coming here. I have started three games in a row which is brilliant. That’s what you want to do when you come away. I feel like I performed at a good level here and I have been given the chance,” said Grealish.
“I just have to stay level headed. I know a lot of eyes will now be on myself both on and off the pitch. I am old enough to control myself. The pressure on the pitch is what I love. All these big games, there’s certain people it can affect but I just thrive off it and I love the pressure,” he added.