Paul Scholes has expressed his views on Jack Grealish’s style of play, providing a detailed perspective on the true meaning of being “skilful” in contemporary football. During his appearance on The Good, The Bad and The Football Podcast, shared through the show’s official X account, the former Manchester United star indicated that Grealish’s success stems more from his footballing intelligence and ability to maintain possession than from conventional flair.
Grealish has been a focal point this season after his unexpected loan transfer from Manchester City to Everton, a movement that generated significant discussion across the Premier League. Nevertheless, the England international quickly put any skepticism to rest with a series of standout performances for the Toffees, form that recently led to him receiving the Premier League Player of the Month award for August.
While Scholes recognized Grealish’s talent, he emphasized the contrast between being efficient and being overtly skilful.
<pIn his remarks on The Good, The Bad and The Football Podcast, Scholes stated:
Now he’s not considered like a skilful player but he puts his body in the right areas and moves it about, all that, you can’t get near it.
I see skilful as trickery, as Jérémy Doku or Cristiano. Sometimes skilful doesn’t always mean you’re going past people.
Sometimes you fuck about a little bit, don’t you? And Cristiano used to fuck about with all these skills, he could do everything.
I see Jack as one who… he does cut inside and pass the ball back a lot, doesn’t he?
And look, I still think Jack’s a really great player, great footballer, but wouldn’t class him as skilful.
Watch the full video below:
Scholes’ insights contribute to an ongoing discussion in football regarding whether skill should be defined by showmanship and flair or evaluated based on control, intelligence, and effectiveness. Although Grealish may not embody the classic definition of a flashy player, his influence at Everton thus far indicates that being effective can be as crucial as possessing dazzling skills.
