Express & Star

Aston Villa boss Dean Smith hails captain's performance from Jack Grealish

Delighted boss Dean Smith claimed it was an easy decision to make Jack Grealish captain - after Villa’s returning star man helped inspire a thumping 4-0 win over Derby.

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Grealish, back after a near three-month injury lay-off, celebrated being named skipper for the first-time in his career with a goal of the season contender as Villa blew away the Rams.

The 23-year-old volleyed home Glenn Whelan’s corner to cap a scintillating first-half performance.

Conor Hourihane had earlier scored twice, either side of Tammy Abraham’s 21st goal of the season, to set Villa cruising to just their third win in 15 Championship games.

Smith said: “It was a really super performance. We started on the front foot, a little bit like we started against West Brom the other week.

“Conor missed a chance or rather the lad (Ashley Cole) cleared it off the line and you think 'Is it going to be one of those days again?'

“But we kept going, kept putting them under pressure and kept forcing mistakes and then Conor got his goal.

“That gave everybody a lift and we ended up comfortable winners. To top it off, that goal from Jack to make it 4-0 was excellent.”

Grealish was named captain in the absence of James Chester and Alan Hutton.

Smith explained: “He's got a long-term future at the club, he's got a long contract.

“By giving Jack the captaincy, he can grow as a captain. He leads by example anyway in the way he plays and I knew with the character he is, it would be no burden to him.

“So for me it was quite an easy decision.

“I told him on Friday. We were in the physios room with John McGinn and a couple of the medical staff for an hour and I asked who should be captain.

“They were throwing a few names around and I said to Jack 'you're captain tomorrow'.

“He had a big smile on his face and it would have been a proud moment for him because like myself he's a Villa fan, he was brought up a Villa fan and to captain your team and score a goal like he did topped off a great day.”

Smith revealed how Grealish’s stunning strike was part of a routine regularly practiced at Bodymoor Heath.

But he added: “We nearly called that corner routine off because he couldn’t hit the target in training yesterday!

“It was a good job we didn’t! It was a super ball from Glenn Whelan as well. It is a tough technique to hit that ball to that spot. It was a great hit from Jack.”