Former Manchester United player Roy Keane has compared the Red devils transfer target Jack Grealish to Cristiano Ronaldo.
Aston Villa attacker Grealish was included in England’s 26-man squad for Euro 2020 on Tuesday, and produced an outstanding performance in Wednesday’s 1-0 friendly win over Austria.
Speaking after England’s victory – which was inspired by a second-half goal from Bukayo Saka – Keane hailed ‘outstanding’ Grealish and said he could have similar impact for England as Ronaldo does for his national team Portugal.
Ronaldo established himself as one of the best players during his time at United, before emerging as an all-time great during a successful spell at Real Madrid.
‘He’s a pure quality player,’ former United skipper Keane said of Grealish on ITV. ‘Every time I watch him play, he affects the game.
‘I’d find it very hard to leave him out of the starting XI. He could be the star man for England, he makes things happen.
‘He has courage and always wants the ball in tight areas. Like Cristiano Ronaldo at Portugal, you need players like that in your team. He’s outstanding.’
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As well as targeting Grealish, the Red devils are also being linked with moves for fellow England players Harry Kane and Jadon Sancho this summer transfer window.
England manager Gareth Southgate also singled out Grealish for praise after the 1-0 victory over Austria, telling reporters: ‘I thought we started very well. We used the ball well in the first hour or so.
‘We were playing against a very good side. They have good players. They get in between the lines well.
‘The first hour was good in terms of quality. After that we needed to make a lot of changes and preserve people. We got a bid disjointed and people had cramp. We were hanging on at the end. It was understandable given the changes.
‘Jack Grealish showed some lovely touches. You can see he’s still getting to full fitness – with the bursts you know he can make. He’s a quality player.’
