Man City ace Jack Grealish credits Manchester United rival Harry Maguire for England team spirit

Players like Manchester United and Liverpool captains Harry Maguire and Jordan Henderson are to credit for England's united squad, according to Manchester City playmaker Jack Grealish.

With City and Liverpool both battling for the Premier League title over the last few seasons, and both clubs having fierce rivalries with United, there could be potential for rifts or divides in the England dressing room. However, Gareth Southgate has created an atmosphere where club rivalries are left at the door for England, with City star Grealish saying credit must go to more senior players like Maguire and Henderson.

"It’s hard to put my finger on exactly why the team spirit is so good," he said.

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"Obviously, the manager has a big part to play in it. The one thing I can say is we all love coming away with England. It’s something we all love doing. Honestly, it’s brilliant to come away with this squad.

"I’d probably say the more experienced lads [are also key]. The likes of Hendo, Harry Kane, Harry Maguire and the players who have been in the squad for a while now. I’d say they are really the ones who help knit the group together. Their experience always helps.

"The one thing we really do have here is a mix of the older lads with experience, shall we say, and then we have the younger crop of players too, who all get on incredibly well. Honestly, there aren’t any cliques here. No matter what team you play for, playing together for England is something we all love doing. At the end of the day, there’s only one goal for all of us.

And the example set by the United and Liverpool captains is something Grealish has tried to replicate when new