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Aston Villa boss Dean Smith says Jack Grealish is a "football nut" who won't stop working for Premier League success

Villa boss Dean Smith claims “football nut” Jack Grealish won’t stop striving to be a Premier League success.

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Smith revealed how the skipper sometimes needs to be dragged off the training pitch such is his work ethic and quipped: “He’s that sort of character. I’m surprised his missus is still with him!

“He’ll go back and he’ll be watching football at home as well.”

The boss continued: “Jack’s a football nut. He will train today and go and find a room somewhere and fall asleep.

“Then he’ll wake up and go and do a gym session. That’s how he is.

“He wants to get better. You end up sometimes dragging him off the training ground because he wants to get better. It’s a massive plus in his favour.”

Grealish, who skippers Villa in Monday’s home clash with West Ham, experienced a mixed first month back in the top flight after leading his boyhood club to promotion last term.

The 24-year-old was involved in controversy in last month’s 1-0 defeat at Crystal Palace when he was booked for diving as Villa saw a stoppage time equaliser ruled out.

Smith has been satisfied with his performances but believes there is much more to come.

“What we want him to do was to be running at opposition players and hurting him like he did at Selhurst Park,” he said. “He’s got to the pace of the Premier League, that’s for sure.

“When you look at Jack and John McGinn, to be as influential as they were in the Championship, is asking too much straight away, though John had a hell of a start with that goal after seven minutes at Tottenham.”

Smith believes Tyrone Mings' maiden England call-up will have a positive impact on Villa's squad.

The defender spent the international break with Gareth Southgate's squad, though he did not feature in Euro 2020 qualifiers against Bulgaria and Kosovo.

Smith said: "Tyrone has come back from the England set-up and the first thing he has said to me is how professional the top players are, the Raheem Sterlings and Harry Kanes of this world.

"I think Tyrone is a really good professional, that can only influence our dressing-room and make him better."