"It feels so good. I'm so happy. I think I'm at my best at everything in life, not just football, when I feel loved." Jack Grealish said that upon returning to Everton — and it's hard to argue with the diagnosis. Manchester City have officially released him, and he's headed back to Hill Dickinson Stadium to see out the final year of his contract in Merseyside.
This isn't a sentimental detour. Grealish had virtually no path back into City's plans. He played the second half of the Community Shield — a difficult afternoon for a squad in obvious transition — and managed eight minutes in the Premier League opener against Bournemouth. That was the full extent of his 2025/26 campaign in sky blue. Maresca's City had moved on. Everton hadn't.
What last season actually showed
His first stint at Everton produced 22 appearances, two goals, and six assists before a January injury ended his campaign early. Not eye-catching numbers on paper, but the performances told a different story — Grealish looked engaged, direct, and genuinely influential in a way he hadn't been at City for the better part of two years.
Aston Villa tried to bring him home. He chose Everton instead. That says something about where his head is, and probably where his legs are too — the Hill Dickinson crowd gave him something Villa Park couldn't at this point in his career.
The question now is whether he stays healthy for a full season. He's never quite managed that since arriving at City in that blockbuster deal that made him the most expensive English player in history. One Champions League medal, one Premier League title, one FA Cup — and then a series of setbacks that slowly eroded his place in the squad.
Everton's attacking output last season was inconsistent at best. A fit, motivated Grealish running at defenders changes their creative ceiling considerably — which makes them a more interesting proposition in anytime scorer and assist markets than the outright table suggests.
"Now I feel ready to go," he said. "I'm ready to start training tomorrow and prepare for the games." Whether his body agrees with his enthusiasm is the only real variable left.
