Bristol City vs Aston Villa: Jack Grealish focused on the task

Grealish this week signed a new five-year deal at his boyhood club and boss Bruce hopes a line can now be drawn after several months in which the 23-year-old’s future was the source of near constant speculation.

At one stage during the summer, Grealish was told he would be sold in order to help Villa out of their financial crisis.

But the arrival of new majority shareholders Nassef

Sawiris and Wes Edens drastically altered the outlook and meant Villa were able to rebuff the advances of Premier League Tottenham.

Bruce, who is under huge pressure ahead of tonight’s trip to Bristol City, admits events undoubtedly had an effect on Grealish and may have contributed to his indifferent form this term.

The England under-21 international has struggled to hit the heights which saw Villa slap a £40million price tag on his head.

Bruce said: “In Jack’s mind he was being sold to save the club and that was the over-riding thing all summer until the new owners came in.

“He had become accustomed to that and it didn’t happen so now of course there’s a hangover.

“He’s focused now, hopefully, on the job. I’m quietly confident he can get to the levels he was at last season.”

Bruce was spotted chatting to England boss Gareth Southgate during Chelsea’s 2-1 Carabao Cup win at Liverpool on Wednesday night. Though he insisted the subject of Grealish cropped up only briefly in the conversation,

Bruce believes Southgate may soon be looking at players in the Championship due to the paucity of top English players featuring regularly in the Premier League.

“The question was ‘How’s Jack?’ and that was it,” said Bruce. “I’m not going to tell Gareth how to do his job. Am I heck!

“I’ve got my own s*** to deal with. But I honestly believe he might have to (look at the Championship) because players aren’t playing regularly (in the Premier League).

“It’s something which has to be a worry because we were watching the game last night and there weren’t many English and that was arguably their second teams.

“That shows you how difficult it is and that means he might have to look at people playing in lower divisions.”

In truth, the subject of Grealish and England may soon be of lesser interest to Bruce unless he can quickly find a way of turning Villa’s fortunes around.

Though there is no huge appetite for change, a heavy defeat tonight might be enough for those in the boardroom to wield the axe, after a run which has seen support for the manager in the stands steadily erode. While an on-form Grealish would definitely help matters, up front is not where Villa have experienced their biggest issues this term.

Instead it is a defence which has conceded 14 goals in just nine games which has brought Bruce to the brink.

“We had a wonderful start and could have easily been four or five points better off and not having this conversation,” said Bruce.