Pep Guardiola says axed Jack Grealish needs to get ‘butterflies back in his stomach’

Jack Grealish's Manchester City future is in doubt after playing limited minutes last season. PHOTO: REUTERS

UPDATED Jun 18, 2025, 12:50 PM

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PHILADELPHIA – Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola suggested on June 17 that the dropped Jack Grealish needed to rediscover his love for playing football, after being left out of the squad for the ongoing Club World Cup in the United States.

“Jack is an exceptional player. The only reason he didn’t play last season was of course my decisions,” the Spaniard told reporters in Philadelphia, where City were up against Wydad Casablanca in their opening game on June 18, without the England international winger.

The result of that match was not available at press time.

“We decided it was best that he stays in Manchester and has a place where he can get back to what he was in the year of the treble or all his career at Aston Villa.”

Grealish joined City in 2021 and was a standout on their run to Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup glory in 2023. However, he started only 10 Premier League games in the following season and only 16 times across all competitions in this campaign.

“Without him it would have been more difficult to achieve what we did in the treble season, but the fact is that the last two seasons he has not played much minutes,” Guardiola added.

“He has incredible respect and love for the team... But he has to get back to playing and having the butterflies in his stomach that he needs to play every three days.”

While Guardiola left the door open for Grealish to remain at the Etihad Stadium, he admitted that both the player and the club will use their time apart during the Club World Cup to reflect on his future.

“I don’t know if his future will be in Manchester,” the City boss said.

“We’ll be away now, and we’ll see what happens. For now, he’s a Manchester City player, and if he has to come back, he will. For now we decided don’t come here. We had a conversation between him and the club and decided it was best for him not to travel to the Club World Cup.”

The Guardian reported that City are yet to receive a formal offer for Grealish, with the club potentially demanding about £50 million for the forward who cost a then British record £100 million in August 2021.

City, who finished third in the Premier League, added four new signings in the recent transfer window to freshen up their squad for the Club World Cup.

They brought in Dutch midfielder Tijjani Reijnders, exciting French creator Rayan Cherki, left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri and back-up goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli.

“We are really pleased because all of them have huge quality,” Guardiola added.

“With this incredible amount of games we have until the end of the season, 11 months, every three or four days, everyone is going to play.”

The last season was one of the hardest of Guardiola’s coaching career and he sees the Club World Cup as the first tournament of the new campaign, and therefore a chance to turn the page.

“It is the beginning of the season. In sport, what happened in the past, good or bad, is forgotten so we feel like we are starting the season,” he said.

City are expected to ease through to the last 16 from Group G, in which they will also meet Al Ain of the United Arab Emirates and Italian giants Juventus.

First up at Lincoln Financial Field is Morocco’s Wydad, a leading name in North African football who qualified for the Club World Cup as a recent winner of the CAF Champions League. REUTERS

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