Jack Grealish is well-known as being one of England’s brightest talents. He is currently playing for Manchester City, having previously starred for his boyhood club Aston Villa.
Grealish’s appearance is not too typical of the modern-day footballer. While footballers opting for unusual fashion looks is nothing new, Grealish has a rather peculiar sight that has become synonymous with him – short socks.
Gone are the days when players would put on thick shin pads and long socks. Instead, Grealish’s look of wearing short socks is catching on. But where did this style start from? Grealish has spoken out.
Life in the Under 16’s
Grealish was signed as a young boy to Aston Villa, which was a club that continues to hold Grealish in very high esteem. There was much excitement among coaches over Grealish’s talent.
His talent didn’t go unnoticed, and he joined up with the Under 16 squad well before he turned that age.
Grealish spoke about how he was a “young boy” when first training with the Under 16’s team. He said that as a result, he was unable to get what he “wanted off of the kit man” – presumably socks that fit.
As many will know, life in the Under 16’s team is a far cry from life in the first-team squad. Grealish said about how he had to have the same socks every day.
The sponsor at the time, which Grealish neglected to mention, “wasn’t that good”, according to the Englishman.
Shrinking in the Wash
Again, life in the Under 16’s was far from glamorous. Players had to take home their clothing and wash it themselves.
Grealish spoke about how every time that the socks were washed, they would shrink. Over time, they became smaller and smaller.
Grealish said that “after about 2 months, they’d shrunk and wouldn’t come over” his calves.
Great season
So, Grealish became used to wearing short socks out of necessity. But this enforced change coincided with Grealish having an excellent season.
Grealish said that “that season I ended up having a ‘worldie’ of a season”. This led him to think “I’m keeping this now”. As a result, this style has remained the same.
The Takeaway
Grealish has gone on to forge an excellent career. He went on to become a hero for Aston Villa fans, as he showed tremendous loyalty throughout his career there.
He has since moved to Manchester City, where he continues to play well. His England career is also proving successful.
Whether or not the short socks have anything to do with his success or not is unknown, but at the very least, they have provided an excellent confidence boost!
