Michael Owen has told the group of Aston Villa followers who booed Jack Grealish on Saturday that they should be ashamed.
Grealish left the club for Manchester City in 2021 for £100 million and returned to Villa Park this weekend in a 2-1 defeat.
There was a chorus of boos every time he touched a ball and at full time the winger responded by raising three fingers to indicate the Premier League titles he has won under Pep Guardiola.
Grealish joined Villa at the age of six and, barring a loan in 2013/14 at Notts County, spent 19 years with the club he supports, helping them gain promotion and reach the finals of both domestic cups in 213 games before breaking off the British transfer. file.
Owen said he felt “to the pit of my stomach” at the boos in an impassioned 711-word defense of the Englishman posted on X on Sunday. It is a fate he suffered after leaving Liverpool during his own playing career.
'I often hear or see things in football that make my blood boil. Most people will probably feel the same way at some point. I think that's natural when you care passionately about something, or in my case, when it's something that consumes your entire life.
'The current capitulation of reigning champions Manchester City is enough to fill pages and jam radio stations across the country. But yesterday there was another story at Villa Park that really made me sick.
'Of course it's not my thing to tar a group of people with the same brush. I've lived a life where me and my teammates have been stereotyped, and it's pretty annoying. There will always be kind, honest, generous, respectful, caring people in all walks of life, just as there will always be nasty, jealous, hateful, and bitter people. Your job or where you come from doesn't necessarily put you into a certain category.
'But for those Villa fans who booed Jack Grealish yesterday, you fall into the second category and should hang your heads in shame.
“Here's a boy who went through YOUR academy. He has supported The Villa all his life and no doubt still does. He single-handedly dragged YOUR team back to the Premier League, while you were average at best. He kept you awake and in retrospect, he showed you ten times more loyalty than you show him now. He almost never got injured and regularly delivered Man Of The Match performances. He cost you nothing, provided you with incredible service and made YOUR club over £100 million when he left.
“I don't know Jack; I interviewed him a few times and that's it. I generally don't stand up for football players, purely because I was one myself. But Jack's story is almost perfect
'He joined his local club and rose from a six-year-old boy to captain of the club. He has made over 200 appearances for the club and has made his mark as one of the best players to ever wear the famous burgundy shirt.
'Having been promoted and captained the club, he undoubtedly did more than his share in turning his team into a respectable and established Premier League side, which arguably laid the foundation for how the club is today day is seen.
'He then moved on to one of the best teams in the world, a team that won absolutely everything and will go down in history as one of the best teams to ever set foot on a football field. Who knows what will happen next, but Jack could retire tomorrow having had a career that most footballers can only dream of.
'I've said it many times, but I'll say it again. Footballers are generally fans before they sign their first professional contract and when they retire they become fans again. In between it's a job!
'Fans who never become footballers can happily express their undying love for a particular team and that is absolutely wonderful.
'Footballers, on the other hand, only have a limited time in the game and clearly want to be as successful as possible in that short time between first and last contract.
'It is impossible for 99% of players to stay with their team for their entire career because if they are good players the best teams will want to sign them and if they are not good players they will be shown the exit door quite quickly.
'When fans see their team going through a bad run, they all call for the club to buy new players. When a new player is signed, do fans of the new club call him Judas and boo for leaving his boyhood club? Of course not; they sing their names and welcome them with open arms.
'Why is it so different when it's the other way around?
'In Jack's case, he is and always will be very proud of where he comes from and so it must be heartbreaking for him to have to endure the foolish and pathetic booing he had to listen to yesterday.'
Grealish was part of the Catalan's historic Treble-winning side in 2023, adding to his list of accolades, but has struggled two seasons later.
The England international has failed to score in his last 45 games in club colors and could not help his side reverse their lackluster form on Saturday.
The hosts struck first on home soil, thanks to an early goal from Jhon Duran in the opening 20 minutes, and doubled their lead in the second half through Man City academy graduate Morgan Rogers.
Hopes of the final turnaround were raised by Phil Foden after two minutes of added time, but Guardiola's side were unable to find an equalizer as they were condemned to their ninth defeat in their last 12 games.
Grealish's temper had flared earlier in the match when the 29-year-old was involved in a half-time altercation with Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez.
As the match reached the halfway point, Grealish appeared to protest the lack of stoppage time in the first half.
As both teams left the field, the England international was seen exchanging words with his former teammate Martinez.
Erling Haaland played peacemaker, getting between the two men as they remained animated on their way off the field.
The conversation continued in the tunnel and the Argentine was subsequently shown a yellow card by referee Peter Bankes for his involvement in the incident.
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