Jack Grealish defends Man City boss Pep Guardiola and England manager Gareth Southgate

As every touch of Jack Grealish's is analysed forensically these days, there is an increasing trend that is seeing Pep Guardiola receive some criticism for his tactical shackling of the England playmaker.

Before his £100m transfer from Aston Villa to Manchester City, Grealish was a free-roaming, dangerous number ten, who was the nation's favourite at Euro 2020 and earned the number seven shirt for England in that tournament. After the move, he's been ineffective, struggling to impact games, and restricted to the left wing. At least, that's what the critics are saying.

As part of that criticism, Guardiola has been given some negative attention for keeping Grealish limited to the left, and not allowing him to play the free role he did at Villa. However, Grealish himself says it's only natural that he is given a different role at City given the contrasts between the squad at the Etihad and his former teammates at Villa Park.

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"It's completely different to the way I was at Villa. At Villa I was more free, at City it's more structured," he said. "I have a great relationship with the manager, I've said in so many interviews that I've never seen anything like the way he thinks and looks at football - he's just obsessed with it. I think you can tell why and see why.

"I have a good relationship with him. I know people are saying I might be playing a bit different to the way I used to. But I think that comes with the players I'm playing with as well. I've played with so many top players, and it was obviously going to change my game a little bit. I'm never going to be the exact same player that I was because I'm playing for a different club with a different