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Given their oil-money-fueled success and long-time suspicions of rule-breaking that surround them, it goes without saying that Manchester City and its players are far from the most well-liked in the world of football.
Winger Jack Grealish, however, might be the exception that proves the rule, at least based on a clip of him that’s been going viral in recent days.
Due to his general pretty boy ditziness — a viral video from earlier this summer, for example, revealed that he didn’t know what an “encyclopedia” was — and hard-partying ways have made Grealish one of the few City players that rival football fans seem to embrace.
Earlier this week, in a move that will surely thaw the cold hearts of even the most ardent of Man City haters (one of which being myself), Grealish added to his aura of likability by taking the time to make a memory for a special needs-having fan.
As the City players and staff were accepting their medals for winning the UEFA Super Cup over Sevilla, Grealish stopped moving down the handshake line (filled with likely-soulless suits) to have a genuine interaction with a young girl with special needs.
As you can see in the below video, prior to Grealish, the likes of Aymeric Laporte and the lab-engineered Erling Haaland blow right past the young fan without even acknowledging her.
Class move by JACK GREALISH at UEFA Super Cup medal ceremony, as City star takes a moment to greet and speak with a young, visually-impaired fan on stage after shootout win. Truly thoughtful gesture by 🏴 international. ❤️ [Via @sportbible / @denizsatar]pic.twitter.com/14Azre2s34
— Men in Blazers (@MenInBlazers) August 18, 2023
Following their midweek victory in the UEFA Super Cup — which they played in as a result of winning last season’s Champions League — City will next take on Newcastle United in their first Premier League home match of the season on Saturday, August 19 at 3 p.m. EST.
After winning the Treble (the Premier League, Champions League, and FA Cup), City and its endless resources are once again heavy favorites to win the Premier League, which they’ve done every season since 2017, with only Liverpool disrupting their dominance during the 2019 season.