Michael Owen has launched a stinging attack on Aston Villa fans who jeered Jack Grealish’s return to the club, having started in Manchester City’s 2-1 defeat at Villa Park.
The former Liverpool, Real Madrid and Manchester United striker posted a lengthy message on social media after “feeling sick to the bottom of my stomach” over the boos that the England midfielder received.
Sections of the home fans taunted Grealish, who is without a goal for his club in 2024 and was unable to help turn around City’s torrid form of late, before they got the last laugh with three points against the £100million man.
Grealish has been regularly taunted by supporters of his boyhood club since departing for the Premier League champions in 2021, having gone on to win a treble under Pep Guardiola and a host of other trophies.
And Owen thinks that those Villa fans who booed Grealish should “hang your heads in shame” and show more respect to a player who came through the club’s academy and gave eight years to them before leaving.
Owen claimed that the reaction upon Grealish’s homecoming would have been “heartbreaking” for the winger and lectured those who jeered the England international.
Owen’s rant in full
“I often hear or see things in football that makes my blood boil. Most people will probably feel the same at some point or other. I guess that’s quite natural when you care passionately about something, or in my case, when it’s something that has consumed your entire life.
“The current capitulation of reigning champions Manchester City is enough of a story to fill back pages and jam radio stations up and down the country. But there was another story at Villa Park yesterday that genuinely left me feeling sick to the bottom of my stomach.
“Of course, tarring a set of people with the same brush is not something I’m into. I’ve lived a life whereby myself and my teammates have been stereotyped and it’s pretty annoying. There will always be kind, honest, generous, respectful, caring people in all walks of life just as there will always be nasty, jealous, spiteful, bitter people too. Your job or where you’re from doesn’t necessarily make you fall into a certain category.
“But to those Villa fans who booed Jack Grealish yesterday, you fall into the second category and should hang your heads in shame.
“Here is a lad that came through YOUR academy. Supported The Villa all his life and no doubt still does. He single-handedly dragged YOUR team back into the Premier League when you were bang average at best. He kept you up and in hindsight, showed you ten times more loyalty than you are now showing him. He was hardly ever injured and delivered Man Of The Match performances on a regular basis. He cost you nothing, gave you incredible service and made YOUR club over £100m when he left.
“I don’t know Jack; I’ve interviewed him a couple of times and that’s as far as it goes. I also don’t generally stick up for footballers purely because I was one myself. But Jack’s story is as near to perfect as it gets:
“He joined his local club and rose through the ranks from a six year old boy to Club captain. He has played over 200 games for the club and has stamped his mark as one of the best players to ever wear the famous claret and blue shirt. After gaining promotion and as club captain, he undoubtedly did more than his fair share of turning his team into a respectable and established Premier League side which arguably formed the foundations for how the club is viewed today. He then moved to one of the world’s best teams, one that has won absolutely everything and will go down in history as one of the greatest teams ever to set foot onto a football pitch. Who knows what will come next but Jack could retire tomorrow and will have had a career most footballers can only dream of.
“I’ve said it many times but I’ll say it again. Footballers are generally fans before they sign their first professional contract and when they retire they become fans once again. In between it’s a job!
“Fans who don’t ever become footballers can happily declare their undying love for any particular team and that’s absolutely great.
“Footballers on the other hand, have a limited time in the game and clearly want to be as successful as possible in that short time between first and last contracts.
“It’s impossible for 99% of players to stay with their team throughout their careers because if they are good players the best teams will want to sign them and if they’re not good players they’ll be shown the exit door pretty swiftly.
“When fans see their team going through a bad run, they all clamour for the club to buy new players. When a new player is signed, do fans of the new club call them Judas and boo them for leaving what could easily have been their boyhood club? Of course not; they sing their name and welcome them with open arms.
“Why then is it so different when it’s the other way around?
“In Jack’s case he is and always will be very proud of where he comes from and so it must be heartbreaking for him to have to endure the mindless and pathetic booing that he had to listen to yesterday.”
