(Image: Getty Images) Raheem Sterling, dropped after an altercation with Joe Gomez, and James Madisson, warned by Southgate after visiting a casino having withdrawn from a squad through illness, can testify to the England manager’s tough side.
With that in mind, Grealish could well find his wait for a full England call-up extended after Sunday’s episode.
And Throughout his time in charge of United, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has stressed how character is just as important as ability.
(Image: Getty Images) For Solskajer, a player must be a role model off the field and represent the club the right way, as much as having an impact on it.
“We’ve tried to educate our players and our kids to be proper people,” said Solskajer. ”In my view, the best players have always been the best people.
“You have to have that value system and a certain kind of attitude about you to make a United player.”
Against that backdrop, it is not unreasonable to deduce Solskjaer took a dim view of Grealish’s latest alleged public misdemeanour.
Grealish is one of Solskjaer’s top targets, but the United boss may now have doubts about such a move, given the importance he places on a player’s integrity.
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Solskjaer is fond of the phrase “due diligence” and followed that process with all of his United signings – Dan James, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Harry Maguire and Bruno Fernandes – assessing their character as much as their talent.
And with the repercussions from the coronavirus pandemic potentially heralding a more frugal approach from clubs when it comes to financial outlays on players, there can be little room for doubt when it comes to making big signings.
Grealish would do well to reflect on that, as he waits to see how much damage his latest indiscretion has inflicted on his promising career.
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