Jack Grealish meets unrecognisable former Premier League star - "My first hero"
Jack Grealish couldn't hide his delight after meeting up with his "first ever hero", the former Aston Villa striker Juan Pablo Angel.
Between 2001 and 2007, Angel scored 62 goals in 205 appearances for the Villans having become the club's record signing when he joined from River Plate for a fee of around £9.5million. Only four other players have scored more Premier League goals for Villa than Angel's 44, with Gabriel Agbonlahor, Dwight Yorke, Dion Dublin and Ollie Watkins ahead of him.
And Grealish this week shared a snap of himself alongside Angel on Instagram, writing: "My first ever hero. If you know then you know. There's only one Juan Pablo Angel."
The pair met up at Manchester City's training ground where the former Colombia international was working for TV, with Angel looking completely different from his time at Villa. Then he had long dark hair and an alice band, now his hair is grey, cropped shorter and he has grown a beard to complete a very different look.
Grealish previously met Angel in 2019 while he was still at Villa and told the forward: "I remember watching you as a kid, you were obviously my favourite player scoring all the goals. I've never had the chance to meet you before, so it's a pleasure."
Pep Guardiola went back on his word after blocking last-ditch Barcelona transfer
Reflecting on their meeting in an interview with the Athletic the following year, Angel said: "I had to learn my way into Aston Villa and earn the support. I had to understand what the club meant for the community and how huge it was in terms of support around the world and the history of the club.
"I ended up loving the city, loving the club, and understanding the culture but it wasn't something I was born with. Jack has all that.
"The majority of his family are Aston Villa so he feels a commitment and the responsibility in himself to not just play for the club but to be the captain and do it well. He is a local boy who grew up loving Villa and his sentiment for the club and the community is huge."
Angel scored 62 goals in 205 games for Villa between 2001 and 2007 (Getty Images)Grealish left Villa in 2021, with City forking out around £100m to sign him. And the 28-year-old helped Pep Guardiola's side win a historic Treble last season, with City lifting the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League.
"To win the treble, with this group of players is so special," he said after City beat Inter Milan 1-0 in the Champions League final. "Anyone who knows me knows how much of a family person I am and how much I love football, and this is my whole life."
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
