Jack Grealish's father Kevin says playing Gaelic football helped make the Aston Villa captain the player he is.

Grealish, who famously turned down the chance to play soccer for the Republic of Ireland in 2016, has enjoyed an outstanding season in the heart of the Villa midfield and his dad claims playing Gaelic in school and for John Mitchels GAA club in Birmingham toughened him up for the rigours of professional soccer.

"He'd run the show playing Gaelic," Kevin told Birmingham Live.

"It really helped him because he was knocked from pillar to post. It's brutal compared to soccer. Jack, as you know, is good with his feet but you can pick the ball up as well and he'd flick it around everyone!

"I told Gordan Cowans the once. He asked why Jack was so good at expecting tackles and stuff and it was the GAA. It really built up his upper body, players would bounce off him. It's probably why he's so strong today.

"He had to stop playing at 16, though, they'd just be stamping on his fingers and it became all too much. We had Nike knocking at the door at this point as well who wanted to sponsor him."

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