Grealish award 'just the start' for Everton winger

Everton manager David Moyes said Jack Grealish's Premier League player of the month award for August was "just the start" after the winger produced a fast start to life at Goodison Park.

Grealish, who turned 30 on Wednesday, joined Everton on a season-long loan from Manchester City and has registered four assists from two league starts as the Toffees recorded wins over Brighton and Wolverhampton Wanderers. He also came off the bench in Everton's season opener at Leeds United, giving him three appearances in the new Premier League campaign and two more assists than any other player at that stage.

"I'm really pleased for him. You'd have to say it's a big privilege to be given that accolade and I'm pleased for him because everybody knows he's back again," Moyes said at a news conference. "It's nothing down to me, it's down to Jack Grealish. He's looked after himself and worked incredibly hard. He's come back with the right mindset to produce and he has produced for us. He's made a big difference. It's just the start for Jack."

The award is the first of Grealish's Premier League career and makes him the first Everton player to win the monthly prize since Dominic Calvert-Lewin in September 2020. Grealish topped an eight-man shortlist decided by a combination of a public vote and opinions from a panel of football experts.

Grealish made his Premier League debut for Aston Villa in May 2014 and has amassed 193 appearances in the competition. He won the Premier League title three times while at Manchester City. Before his move to Everton, he had recorded two assists in the same Premier League match on only two previous occasions.

His early-season form has produced a club first: no Everton player had previously recorded multiple assists in consecutive Premier League matches. Grealish will have the opportunity to extend that run when Everton host his former club Aston Villa on Saturday at 15:00 BST.

Moyes said the England squad was another motivating factor for Grealish. "It's a big motivation for him to break back into the England team before next summer's World Cup and his performances in the early part of the season have put a marker down," Moyes said. "I don't pick the England team and I'm glad I don't because there's so many good players. They played really well against Serbia, some really good performances, so Jack needs to keep playing well for us to get ahead of them."

Everton's early-season revival underlined by Grealish's creation and link-up play has drawn attention as the club seeks consistent results. Moyes credited Grealish's professionalism and fitness since joining on loan and said the player’s form should be measured on continued contributions rather than a single accolade.

Grealish's performances will be watched closely across the Premier League and by England's coaching staff as the season progresses and as he aims to maintain his recent assist rate and influence in Everton's attack.