- From his first day on Merseyside, Grealish embraced the local Everton community.
- His school visits and charitable spirit prove he understands the People’s Club.
- Encouraging a young fan’s dance showed the true depth of his empathy.
The sight of Jack Grealish in an Everton shirt felt right from the word go. It even looked right.
He even had his own Everton look: hair in a tight bun rather than at the mercy of an ‘Alice band’.
From the moment he first arrived on Merseyside, there was a sense that player and club were cut from similar, if not the same, cloth. While some superstars of modern football appear detached and out-of-bounds, Grealish injected a dose of old-school humanity into the then-new Hill Dickinson and almost instantly forged a bond with Evertonians.
It literally began on day one. High-profile signings are often ushered in through the back door, shielded by security and tinted glass, and untouchable to the hoi polloi. Grealish, however, stopped.
Even before his signing was close to being announced, he ensured youngsters waiting at the gates didn’t just get a fleeting glimpse, but a selfie and a memory. And that set the tone.
The now legendary “worm”
Superstars and Everton don’t always click, but Grealish, for all his talent, is not comfortable in that role. Humility over vanity any day for Jack. And he appeared to genuinely understand what the football club means to the city, or at least half of it.
On the pitch, he was soon delivering, but his impact has resonated far beyond the green stuff. Grealish became a fixture in local Merseyside schools, often sitting on the floor and engaging with the kids on their level.
Yet, perhaps nothing captured the essence of his Greralish more than the recent footage from the Finch Farm treatment room. Seeing him encourage a young man with Down’s Syndrome – participant in the Everton in the Community foundation – to perform “the worm” was more than just a viral clip.
It was a heart-warming display of kindness, one that captured the mood and Grealish himself perfectly.
Evertonians have taken him to their hearts because he reflects the things they value most: loyalty, joy, and a lack of pretension. He plays with a smile on his face and, until his injury, had become one the leaders in a period of transition for the club.
The art of the deal
As the season nears its climax, and with Europe still very much in the sights of the Toffees, the conversation has already turned to Grealish’s future. The club are, reportedly, currently locked in negotiations with Man City to find a deal that suits both parties.
Most, if not all, Evertonians will be hoping a deal can be struck. To see Grealish adorning the sky blue of Man City next season would sting. As would the sight of him wearing any shirt that isn’t royal blue.
Here’s hoping a deal can be struck.
