Jack Grealish still believes Gareth Southgate should have taken him to Euro 2024 but is feeling the love under interim England boss Lee Carsley.
The 29-year-old was a high-profile omission from the summer’s shot at glory in Germany having been part of the team that reached the Euro 2020 showpiece and then 2022 World Cup quarter-finals.
Grealish was “absolutely heartbroken” to be dropped from the expanded pre-tournament selection and Southgate’s decision still sticks in the craw.
“I think everyone can imagine I was absolutely devastated,” the Manchester City winger told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“I mentioned it before saying that it was probably one of the most difficult periods of my life, in terms of football especially.
“But I think when you’re in the situation you’ve got to try and flip it into a positive and do what you can to come back stronger and better for it. I’m obviously still working towards that now.
“I felt like I didn’t have the best season. You look at some players in my position, the likes of Phil Foden, Anthony Gordon, Jarrod Bowen, people like this, they scored a lot of goals, which 100 per cent I agree with.
“But I know that my game is not just about goals. I think I give so much more to the team than just goals.
“I think you need a bit of a balance in every position and I class myself as quite an experienced player now. I’ve played in quite a lot of big games, Champions League finals, FA Cup finals and I’ve won a lot of stuff now.
“I still think I should have (been picked) but obviously it wasn’t meant to be.”
Grealish digested that disappointment during a rare summer off, although he admits watching any of the Euros was “really difficult”.
He was recalled in Carsley’s first selection having made a promising start to the campaign with City, starting both of September’s Nations League matches.
He particularly shone against the Republic of Ireland, for whom he played at youth level before switching allegiances, harnessing the hostilities to score in a 2-0 Dublin triumph.
“I wanted to come here and train well and play well,” Grealish said. “I thank the manager here, Lee Carsley, for giving me that chance and having that trust in me. It’s obviously really meant a lot.
“I think throughout my career when I’ve played under managers that have shown a trust in me and communicated with me the way he has in the past two camps it really helps me.
“It makes me feel that the manager really does rate me and I can’t speak highly enough of him since I’ve been here.”
Grealish shied away from comparing camps under Carsley to predecessor Southgate but said he has “felt a lot of love and a lot of trust” from the interim boss.
“I think sometimes with the England manager’s job nowadays it’s a lot more than just on the training pitch and in the games,” he said.
“They get asked every question you can think of, whether it’s football-related or not.
“I think since (Carsley’s) been given the job he’s been brilliant and I can’t speak highly enough of him, the training sessions and the way he gets across to us how he wants us to play and how he wants me to play personally.
“I can’t speak highly enough of him, honestly, and I think when you’ve heard the way younger lads who were with him at the (under-)21s spoke about him, like a proper father figure also. I’ve seen that myself since I’ve been working with him.”
Grealish returns to England duty as a father himself after his partner Sasha gave birth to their first child, Mila Rose, on September 27.
He said his daughter has been sleeping well and joked Carsley will be having more sleepless nights choosing between the likes of Jude Bellingham, Foden, Cole Palmer and Grealish himself.
“I think he’ll have a lot more I reckon with the players that he’s got to pick from!” Grealish said ahead of Nations League games against Greece and Finland.
“But, yeah, obviously had a little girl – it was the best moment of my life, as you can imagine.
“I don’t really know how to explain it. You feel so many good moments in your life, but that just tops everything.”