Roy Keane says Jack Grealish is ‘pure quality’ and has likened the Manchester United transfer target to Cristiano Ronaldo.
Aston Villa talisman Grealish was included in England’s 26-man squad for Euro 2020 on Tuesday, and produced an impressive performance in Wednesday’s 1-0 friendly victory over Austria.
Speaking after England’s win – which was inspired by a second-half goal from Arsenal star Bukayo Saka – Keane hailed ‘outstanding’ Grealish and said he could have a similar impact for England as Ronaldo does for Portugal.
Ronaldo established himself as one of the best players in the world during his time at Old Trafford, before emerging as an all-time great during a hugely successful spell at Real Madrid.
‘He’s a pure quality player,’ former Man United captain Keane said of Grealish on ITV. ‘Every time I watch him play, he affects the game.
‘I’d find it very hard to leave him out of the starting XI. He could be the star man for England, he makes things happen.
‘He has courage and always wants the ball in tight areas. Like Cristiano Ronaldo at Portugal, you need players like that in your team. He’s outstanding.’
As well as targeting Grealish, Manchester United are also being linked with moves for fellow England stars Harry Kane and Jadon Sancho.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side finished second in the Premier League this season – 12 points behind champions Manchester City – while finishing as runners-up in the Europa League behind Villarreal.
England boss Gareth Southgate also singled out Grealish for praise after the Austria win, telling reporters: ‘I thought we started very well. We used the ball well in the first hour or so.
‘We were playing against a very good side. They have good players. They get in between the lines well.
‘The first hour was good in terms of quality. After that we needed to make a lot of changes and preserve people. We got a bid disjointed and people had cramp. We were hanging on at the end. It was understandable given the changes.
‘Jack Grealish showed some lovely touches. You can see he’s still getting to full fitness – with the bursts you know he can make. He’s a quality player.’
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