Paul Scholes has shared his honest thoughts on Jack Grealish’s playing style, offering a nuanced take on what it really means to be “skilful” in modern football. Speaking on The Good, The Bad and The Football Podcast, in a clip shared via the show’s official X handle, the Manchester United legend suggested that Grealish’s effectiveness lies more in intelligence and ball protection than traditional trickery, Softfootball reports.
Grealish has been a major talking point this season following his shock loan move from Manchester City to Everton, a deal that raised eyebrows across the Premier League. However, the England winger has quickly silenced doubts with a string of impressive performances for the Toffees, form that recently earned him the Premier League Player of the Month award for August.
Despite acknowledging Grealish’s quality, Scholes was clear in drawing a distinction between being effective and being overtly skilful.
According to Scholes on The Good, The Bad and The Football Podcast, he said:
Now he’s not considered like a skilful player but he puts his body in the right areas and moves it about, all that, you can’t get near it.
I see skilful as trickery, as Jérémy Doku or Cristiano. Sometimes skilful doesn’t always mean you’re going past people.
Sometimes you fuck about a little bit, don’t you? And Cristiano used to fuck about with all these skills, he could do everything.
I see Jack as one who… he does cut inside and pass the ball back a lot, doesn’t he?
And look, I still think Jack’s a really great player, great footballer, but wouldn’t class him as skilful.
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Scholes’ comments highlight a broader football debate, whether skill should be judged by flair and tricks, or by control, intelligence, and efficiency. While Grealish may not fit the classic mould of a showman, his impact at Everton so far suggests that effectiveness can be just as decisive as eye-catching flair.
