Friday, 17th October, 2014
Paul Lambert admits that Aston Villa starlet Jack Grealish is nowhere close to being the finished article but believes that he has the potential to be a future great at the club.
Schooled at Villa’s youth academy, Grealish is yet to make a Premier League start and has only made six first team appearances for the Villans.
However, the 19-year-old is highly rated at Villa Park and the club recently tied him down to a new four-year deal to ward off interest from other clubs.
Lambert, under whose tutelage the Birmingham-born midfielder has flourished, feels that the youngster is far from being the finished product but has backed him to be a future great at Villa Park.
"You are signing potential, as we've said. He's been around about it but he's still got an awful long way to go in football terms”, the manager told the club’s official site.
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"But for the future and for the football club it is great.
"I'm not going to put pressure on him at his age. He is nowhere near the finished article. You'll maybe get that by the time he's 30.”
Lambert understands that the youngster has a lot to learn before he can truly be regarded as a top class footballer, but believes that Aston Villa are the ideal club for him to develop into something special in the future.
"He's a long way to go in the game and he'll get knocks but for the future for him and the football club it is great."
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