Why Jack Grealish can be the Maverick Figurehead to Spark Everton Revival

Can you feel that buzz in the air? This is what it’s about.

Everton have signed Jack Grealish, a genuine star with bags of skill, desire and personality. With a point to prove, the playmaker’s arrival could light the blue touch paper to ignite the Toffees' revival too.

Football is all about moments and he is exactly the type of player to provide them. From memorable moves and stunning goals, Grealish is one of the Premier League’s main player attractions and his stage is now set at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.

The unveiling of Grealish on a season-long loan has got a large section of the fanbase giddy. The thought of the frontman putting in the kind of performances which made him a £100m player and helped Manchester City clinch the treble is genuinely exciting and the perfect way to kick off a new era.

It’s a statement signing that has already been compared to the arrivals of James Rodriguez, Romelu Lukaku and Andrei Kanchelskis and shows Everton’s ambitious intent.

After the melancholy and strife of the last four seasons, this move can kickstart the club and give fans another spring in their step on Regent Road come matchday.

Whether you’re flying high at the top of the league or down near the bottom, supporters need heroes and players to idolise. You need light in times of darkness and players to make you believe when things are going well. Grealish has the capabilities and character to be heroworshipped just like a Bob Latchford or Alan Ball and can be a talisman, leading us into the fight like a Duncan Ferguson, Tim Cahill or Richarlison. He appears to boast the confidence, charm and willingness for a connection that people grab onto.

So much of this transfer makes sense for all parties and when it comes to Everton in particular, every box is ticked. Signing Grealish does it all, from bolstering the attack and wowing fans to bringing positive attention back to the club.

He’s a football poster boy who is well-liked by the masses and respected for how he carries himself on and off the pitch. Grealish is a star who is relatable. That’s the attraction; not only is he an exceptional footballer, but he always seems to have time for people. Social media is flooded right now with videos of Jack taking a genuine interest in fans and makes their week in the process.

Grealish is a talent who comes across as a passionate fan of the game, too. You can imagine he would be in the stands supporting The Villa if he wasn’t a professional footballer. He’s a great player and comes across as a great person and that’s what you want at your football club.

Another huge plus is Grealish’s desire to be a Toffee despite no doubt being of interest to other clubs here and abroad. Alan Myers reported on Monday: "From what I hear, Jack Grealish has gone ‘above and beyond’ to make this deal happen, he really wants to join Everton."

Blues know the standing of the football club and so do knowledgeable lovers of the game but in recent seasons, the chaos that enveloped Goodison Park, together with a barren run of 30 years, means that the Toffees have become less acknowledged as a main player in the game and perhaps even less respected as a true giant of English football.

Now though, for a player of Grealish’s ability and reputation to want to play at Everton only two years after winning the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup is a massive plus and should act as a reminder to those outside Bramley-Moore that yes, the Blues do mean business again. If it’s here that he can resurrect his career, then the Toffees will massively benefit.

From a football point of view, he remains one of the best players for getting fans out of their seats. Though he has become surplus to requirements at Manchester City under Pep Guardiola, Grealish still made 32 appearances last season. Only turning 30 in September, this isn’t a case of a player who is ‘washed up’ who has lost his way. Rather, it simply comes down to a manager’s preference and circumstance.

Grealish is a top creator, some would even argue world-class on his day, and he has now found a new home where he can thrive again.

You’d expect under David Moyes that he will be given licence to play with relative freedom compared to his role at the Etihad and the thought of Grealish combining with Iliman Ndiaye is an enthralling prospect. With Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall involved too, Everton attacks could be revolutionized, going from one-paced predictable counters to a brand new flow. You can already picture the trio slaloming about the pitch like figure skaters on the ice with a ball at their feet.

The Blues’ play should become much more fluid now and then there are the fouls to be won high up the pitch. Showing supreme dribbling ability, Ndiaye and Grealish will likely be among the most hacked names in the Premier League and Moyes can further weaponise set-piece in the battle to score goals.

There is a romanticism about this move too as the Grealish family have featured in the Everton story before.

It was at the turn of the 20th century that Grealish’s great-great-grandfather Billy Garraty scored five goals for Aston Villa at Goodison Park, including two winners and the opener for a Christmas Day victory in 1901. The forward also put Villa into the FA Cup final in 1905, after scoring the crucial goal to beat Everton in the semi-final replay at the City Ground in Nottingham.

Then, more than 100 years later, during the Toffees’ 4-0 win over the Villans in 2015, Jack’s Dad Kevin took to the Goodison Park pitch and scored a half-time penalty before racing towards the Bullens Road away end in celebration. Now Grealish Jnr will be hoping to swiftly get on the scoresheet to follow the family tradition.

It has also been claimed that Grealish will wear the number 18 shirt previously worn at Goodison by Wayne Rooney and Jack’s England hero Paul Gascoigne. It is understood he has always been keen to emulate the two players who lit up stadiums with their generational talent and unique skills and also donned the royal blue.

Commercially too, this move is a dream and comes at the ideal time after moving to a new waterfront arena on the banks of the Mersey. Grealish will no doubt front campaigns and draw fans in, further improving engagement.

The major benefit though, is the shirt sales this signing will secure. Fans young and old will flock to buy the kit with his name and number on the back.

From the low socks, reminiscent of Dave Thomas who would fly down the wing for Everton in the 1970s before cross for Bob Latchford, to the distinctive hairstyle, Grealish’s look will be copied by young fans on playing fields across Merseyside and beyond.

Grealish is a player who captures the imagination and is easy to idolise when playing for your club. His passion and play is infectious.

This transfer will inspire the fanbase.

Already, Grealish has told of the moves supporters have made to help the transfer become a reality.

Speaking to evertontv, he said: "I'm over the moon to have signed for Everton - It's massive for me, honestly. This is a great club, with great fans.

"As soon as I spoke to the manager, I knew there was only one place that I wanted to go. On social media, I've been flooded with messages from Everton supporters, so there's that side of it as well and that's another reason why I chose Everton.

"I want to say thank you to the fans for all of the messages I've had already. Thank you for all of the love and support. I hope I can repay you now and I'm sure I will."

He is going to be adored and I’m in no doubt he’ll love us Evertonians back. When he is feeling that adulation, I think that’s when you see the best of Jack Grealish.

Blues will embrace the new signing and love watching him in action, driving at defences and making things happen, just like Peter Beardsley 35 years previous. That is the joy of football and what you go to the game for.

Grealish is an entertainer with bags of personality. In an age of robotic interviews, this is a player who is genuinely interesting and people want to hear what he has to say. From wearing his heart on his sleeve and being brutally honest to having a laugh and sharing amusing takes, he’s a hugely likeable character who has likely won over more and more admirers as his career has progressed and his character has shined through.

This is an individual who is authentic while also being a bit of a maverick. He is so much a footballer of the 1990s. From ordering a Chinese takeaway after games to letting his hair down and enjoying a drink after silverware success to chatting with Elton John and claiming he would likely be a club promoter in Ibiza but for football, it’s these takes that make him standout and grab headlines. Who can forget the iconic topless pose too as the rain poured down during City’s trophy parade?

The fact this is a time in football when so much is censored and players are expected to follow boring regimen constantly, just further enhances the appeal of Jack Grealish.

Claiming a player ‘gets it’ has become a derided and often over-used term in football but when it comes to Everton’s new signing, he does seem to understand and value what matters to supporters.

He’s a character and you need that exuberance in the dressing room. Grealish’s personality and mentality will greatly boost the Toffees squad and enhance the positive dynamic that’s already been generated by players like Jordan Pickford and James Tarkowski

Grealish’s arrival goes beyond what he will do on the pitch and it’s needed. With Jarrad Branthwaite committing his future to the club and quality additions like Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall being made, it’s the signing of Grealish that could fast-track Everton to the next level.

After the last few seasons of worry, it’s time to enjoy that buzz again. Who knows what is to come? But right now, feel the excitement that Everton have signed a player who will grab your attention and make you believe again. Grealish will get you out of your seat and that, that is what it’s all about.

The Blues have landed a proven star with a new point to prove. At Hill Dickinson Stadium, he can lead the revival, for the Toffees and his own career.

It’s time for Everton and Jack Grealish to remind the football world what they are about.

An Everton season ticket holder and football writer, you can subscribe to all of Ell Bretland's work at https://ellbretland.substack.com