Martinez claims Grealish is 'like Messi with a right foot'
Emiliano Martinez claims Jack Grealish is like ‘Lionel Messi with a right foot’ and insists his team-mate ‘can do everything’ just like the Barcelona great… as he admits Aston Villa star is the ‘most talented’ player he’s seen
- Emiliano Martinez claims Aston Villa team-mate Jack Grealish is like Lionel Messi
- The Villa goalkeeper says he’s similarities between Grealish and the superstar
- Martinez trained with six-time Ballon d’Or winner on Argentina international duty
- Grealish goes past players with ease and is ‘Messi with a right foot’ says Martinez
Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez claims he sees similarities between Jack Grealish and Argentine great Lionel Messi.
Grealish, 25, has emerged as one of the standout players in the Premier League after a stunning 2020-21 campaign in which he has helped Villa make a surprise challenge for a European place after narrowly avoiding relegation last season.
And Martinez, who has trained with six-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi on international duty, says the influential Villa captain reminds him of the Barcelona star.
Jack Grealish (left) is like ‘Lionel Messi (right) with a right foot’, claims Emiliano Martinez
‘He’s the most talented player I’ve ever seen’, Martinez told TalkSPORT.
‘He never gives the ball away. I catch a cross and I see Grealish running, I know it’s a shot on target or a corner – for not against!
‘He will drive past two or three players, I just see Messi with a right foot! When he’s on the ball, you can’t get it off him.’
Grealish is on course to have his most productive season ever with 19 goal involvements in 22 games in all competitions.
Grealish has been one of the Premier League’s standout players in stunning season so far
His displays have seen him finally be rewarded on the international stage and looks set for place in England’s European Championship squad in the summer.
After being previously overlooked by manager Gareth Southgate, the mercurial attacker earned the first of his five caps in August and has started the last three games for the national side.
‘I think he’s the most talented English player and I’m surprised that he’s not played so many games for England.
‘Messi is Messi, the best ever. But, in terms of training, when Jack is on the ball people don’t want to tackle him, the respect him on the ball.
Martinez claims players don’t want to go near Grealish in training, just like they do with Messi
‘He can finish, he can chop, he can do everything. Messi is the same. When I am in the national team and I train with Messi no one wants to touch him.
‘He chops people, he uses people like cones and I see that with Jack here so that’s why I compare him a little bit.’
Martinez is not the only big supporter of Grealish, with England great Wayne Rooney also calling for the Villa man and Manchester City starlet Phil Foden to be two of the first names in the Euros squad.
The Villa goalkeeper says team-mate Grealish is the ‘most talented’ player he has ever seen
Martinez is himself having an impressive campaign with 11 clean sheets since making the switch to Villa Park from Arsenal in the summer.
Messi, 33, is still Barca and Argentina’s main man but looks set to finally end his time at the Nou Camp in the summer after a public fall-out with the club at the start of the season.
Barca lost the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final against Sevilla on Wednesday and Messi became involved in a heated off-the-ball incident with Joan Jordan with the forward appearing to elbow his opponent.
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