Jim Walker believes that Jack Grealish could be the difference between Aston Villa and Derby County in the Championship playoff final.
Having beaten West Bromwich Albion 2-1 in the first leg of their Championship play-off semi-final, Aston Villa went into the return leg with a slender one-goal advantage.
Craig Dawson's first-half goal handed West Brom a 1-0 win on the night, levelling the tie on aggregate. With nothing to separate the two sides, the match went to penalties, where Aston Villa managed to nick a 4-3 win.
Despite not getting on the scoresheet, Grealish showed his quality on the ball and even dropped deep whenever necessary.
Walker, who won the second division title with the Rams in 1969, hailed the 23-year-old's qualities, and thinks he could be the difference-maker in the final.
Speaking to Rams TV, he said: "I went to both the game here [at Pride Park] and the game at Villa Park and I think the difference in the teams to be fair was young Jack Grealish.
"He's an exceptional player.
"It depends on how he plays really, how the result will go."
Grealish has clocked up a total of 34 appearances across all competitions for Aston Villa this season, scoring six goals and providing eight assists.
