Jack Grealish was fighting back tears as he thanked Pep Guardiola for giving him the opportunity to become a Champions League winner.
Manchester City completed a sensational treble triumph in Istanbul with a narrow 1-0 victory over Inter Milan in the Champions League final. Rodri's emphatic strike made all the difference in a tightly contested match that ended in the Blues making history.
Grealish was overcome with emotion at the full-time whistle and revealed what he told Guardiola after the victory was confirmed. "He (Guardiola) is just a genius," he told BT Sport.
"I just said to him then 'I want to thank you because you have made this happen for me.' He put so much faith in me, buying me for a lot of money and even last year when I was playing crap, he stayed there with me and spoke to me and this year he has given me that platform to go and perform. So I just said thank you to him."
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Grealish wasn't best pleased with his own performance as City were knocked off their usual stride by a combative and disciplined Inter but any disappointment hardly registered. "I don't know, it is what you work your whole life for. I am so happy," he added.
"I was awful today but I don't care, to win the treble with this group of players and this staff is so special, Anyone that knows me knows that I am a family person and how much I love football and this is what I have worked for my whole life.
"You think back to all the people that have helped along the way and just to seee my family in the crowd, it makes me emotional."
