Tuesday 17 May 2016 00:18, UK
Jack Grealish has been told he must shine for Gareth Southgate's Under-21s if he wants an England international future.
The 20-year-old has been warned his maiden call-up to Southgate's England squad offers no guarantees he has a future in the national set-up despite him snubbing the Republic of Ireland.
Grealish is set to represent the Young Lions for the first time in Toulon, in a tournament that begins this week, but has been told competition is fierce for places and he will have to prove himself this summer.
Grealish played for Ireland at under-17, under-18 and under-21 level but last year opted to switch his allegiance to England following a verbal tug-of-war regarding his international future.
"We are sort of rewarding his commitment to coming across from Ireland and he knows that there is a lot of competition for places in the area of the pitch that he plays," Southgate stated.
"Like all of the players that have gone on, there's opportunity there now.
"I'm aware that he's not had as much game-time as he would ideally like coming into this. There's ability there and we've got to create an environment to go and play and enjoy his football."
There's ability there and he can have an impact.
Negative headlines off the field and a season of struggle at boyhood club Aston Villa, who lost every league game in which Grealish appeared in last season, have tempered the hype surrounding the midfielder.
Although Southgate is thankful Grealish has chosen the country of his birth, he says the abundance of talent at under-21 level means he can provide no guarantees over a place in his team, or in senior boss Roy Hodgson's squad, moving forward.
"It's really difficult with any young player," said Southgate. "There are lots of players in our system, under-17s, under-19s, who have the opportunity to play for two or three countries.
"We can create an opportunity but it's always about how they play and progress. Maybe at a club you can create a plan but the competition for places at international level is so high."
Remi Garde banished Grealish from first-team training in November after he was pictured in a nightclub following a 4-0 defeat to Everton.
Southgate nevertheless revealed he was impressed by the midfielder's appetite to feature for the under-21s when the two spoke.
"It's been a tough season as a club which is painful for me to see," said the former Villa defender.
"The thing that pleased me when I went to meet him was the smile, the enthusiasm to be involved, the desire to take up the opportunity. It's a big commitment.
"He's a player that we know, towards the end of last season, that there's ability there and he can have an impact. However, I've also got to be fair to the lads that are with us and have been with us right through; there's also a lot of ability in that group."
