Dean Smith: Jack Grealish has gone from lad to leader at Aston Villa

The boss believes the 23-year-old star is revelling in the extra responsibility from being handed the captain’s armband last month, following his return from a three-month injury lay-off.

Smith admits Grealish is a far more mature character than the one he expected to find after being appointed Villa head coach nearly six months ago.

He said: “He looked and appeared to be a lot more mature than my perception of him was from the outside of the club.

“What was my perception? I don’t know, a bit of a Jack the lad, I suppose!

“He still has a little bit of that about him. He has a cheekiness that I like. He will question things and I like that. I was like that as a player myself.

“But he is a lot more mature than I expected him to be and a lot more knowledgeable of the game than I expected him to be as well.”

Smith believes Grealish, long tipped for stardom before breaking into Villa’s first-team as a teenager, has gradually changed perceptions after being dogged by off-field controversy earlier in his career.

He added: “People forget they are young men still. Jack is only 23.

“I think because he made it into the first-team at such an early age there was a lot of attention and press on him.

“Unfortunately he got seen in the media in situations he would not like to.

“That is part of his growing up and maturing. He is certainly a young lad I am happy to have as my captain.”

Villa head to Sheffield Wednesday tomorrow for a showdown with former boss Steve Bruce, who played a major role in getting Grealish’s career firmly on the right track.

With seven games to go, Smith believes he now has an opportunity to lead his boyhood club back to the Premier League.

“It’s his club, he is a Villa fan like myself,” he said. “I know how much it means to him to be leading the team.

“You only have to go into the players bar afterwards and see his entourage of family and friends to see what it means to them as well.

“I am pleased he is playing well and that he is leading us at the moment. Long may that continue.”

Midfielder Tom Carroll has seen his loan spell at Villa cut short after undergoing season-ending hip surgery.