Jack Grealish believes he is unfairly targeted when he parties during the off-season, after the Manchester City star was pictured in Ibiza and Las Vegas this summer.
Grealish kicked off pre-season for City in encouraging fashion, as one of the top performers in the friendly against Club America as he regularly danced around the Mexican defence and set up Kevin De Bruyne for the first goal. He will be hoping to capitalise on the departures of Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling, with just Phil Foden to compete with for a left-wing spot this season.
However, his summer saw him draw plenty of attention for celebrating City's title win in Ibiza, and later holidaying in Vegas, both during time he was free to do as he pleased. And Grealish told reporters at NRG Park in Houston that he feels other players who also went away haven't had the same treatment as him.
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"Obviously I'm enjoying myself," he said. "I went to Ibiza after we won the league, and then I went to Vegas after my England trip, and then apart from that, I was away with my girlfriend, working hard and trying to get back training.
"I was getting a lot of stick off the lads for posting too many training photos on my Instagram. I think it's just one of them: when I do something, partying or whatever, it's going to get picked up on more than others. I’ve seen a lot of people in Ibiza and Vegas who didn’t get anywhere near what I got.
"People don’t really want to see you training hard after the season, they want to see all the other stuff – the controversial type of stuff. I’ve just tried to get used to that now. It was difficult earlier on in my career but I’ve had to get used to it.
"I knew that coming to one of the biggest clubs in the world, and the best club in England, that I was going to get more of that. I’ve had to deal with it. Others will get it I suppose – Erling, Kalvin. It’s part and parcel of playing for a massive club."
Grealish was targeted in a different sense on Wednesday night at NRG Park, as Club America defenders took it in turns to hack him down and try to antagonise him, while he grew frustrated with the referee for waving away three penalty shouts. However, Grealish admitted he enjoys the kicks as it motivates him to play even better - much to the amusement of teammates.
He said: "I had a few kicks, but it's all obviously part and parcel of the game. We knew it was going to be a tough game, an aggressive game. We knew that they were probably going to be fitter than us, it's our first game. We've only been training for, what is it, two weeks. It was a good test for us and we have another strong test on Saturday.
"I obviously don't mind being kicked, but I've just watched them back in there and there were definitely two penalties. I've watched them back and there were definitely two.
"I said to the ref, if it's not a penalty then surely you have to book me. He said there was contact. I said 'how's it not a penalty then?!' He said there's just not enough. But there definitely was. I've watched them back and it was definitely two.
"I like it [getting kicked]. Joao just said to me then, why do you like it, and I said, I don't know. I feel like I was more like that at Aston Villa, it gets me going and stuff, so I don't mind it at all.
"I get it at a lot of places now. I feel like I've just got to embrace it and prove them wrong. I feel like I could have tonight, I should have scored the one with my left foot in the second half, but I'll try and save one for Saturday."
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