Manchester City's bus battles through Monday's torrential rain and there he is, arms spread wide, at the centre of the shot. This is where he belongs, after all. Jack Grealish meets Jack Dawson - air in his lungs, on the grandest ship in the world, enjoying champagne with fine people. A fitting image of a footballer who has the world watching and to whom this is everything. Every layer of Grealish demands attention: on-field maverick, loving brother, party animal.
The journey to here has been long but for Jack it's only just getting started. And you cannot help but want to be there with him, every step of the way. The £100million footballer who won't ever lose what's inside. There is an infectious relatability to Grealish and perhaps that is the appeal of City's number ten. He challenges the conventions of the modern day footballer simply by being himself. How can you not warm to this guy?
A live Jack-Cam over the last 72 hours would've sure been compelling viewing. Wearing a high-visibility vest, he pretended to be a turkey while having vodka poured into his mouth, on stage, by Kalvin Phillips. Football will be the last thing on the 27-year-old's mind right now, but it is undoubtedly why this level of celebration works.
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The first-season doubters have been proven wrong. The buzzing Brummie, with a lust for life, has established himself as one of the final pieces to Pep Guardiola's puzzle. And along with added quality, Grealish's injection of fun and personality has sent the likability of this incredible team soaring to new heights. At the end of a 50-game, gruelling season - which ended with everything Grealish and Guardiola could've hoped to achieve together - he is free as a bird and dancing the nights away.
Mistakes have been made up until this point; find someone who hasn't made them in life. The cars and canisters are behind him now as the people's champ continues to go from strength-to-strength - always staying true to his roots. This was the season for Grealish: a first goal at the World Cup, on the scoresheet against Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United, and becoming one of the first names on Pep Guardiola's teamsheet through the historic final stretch. His meeting with a young City fan, Finlay, went viral in November for all the right reasons.
During times when elite football is being engulfed by big business and bucks, Grealish is the ideal soul to have at the heart of it - reminding us all why we fell in love with this game in the first place. He won't be changing any time soon, even if the world in which he exists keeps on aiming to.
So keep doing the Instagram lives, Jack. Keep treating the TV interviews like a post-match debrief in the group chat. Keep demanding the ball, looking to make things happen - hair slicked back, chest out and socks rolled down. And, for now at least, keep drinking it in - you've earned every sip.
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