Aston Villa manager Dean Smith has revealed he almost scrapped the corner routine which led to Jack Grealish’s stunning strike in Saturday’s 4-0 thrashing of Derby.
The 23-year-old scored a goal of the season contender at Villa Park, meeting Glenn Whelan’s corner with a thumping volley from the edge of the penalty area which flew into the top corner.
Villa boss Smith was full of praise for Grealish’s strike, but admitted he almost scrapped the routine with the playmaker having failed to hit the target during training.
On a day full of great goals, this one from Jack Grealish may be the pick of the bunch! 🚀 #AVFC #SeasonsPod pic.twitter.com/pUJn6tv6FJ
— Seasons ⚽️ (@SeasonsFootball) March 2, 2019
”It topped it all off. It was wonderful execution,” Smith told his post-match press conference.
”It’s something we worked on in training – on corners from the left side.
”He couldn’t hit the target in training, so we didn’t know whether to scrap it or not! It was a great finish.
”His return gave everybody a boost. He’s a top player.
”I’ve waxed lyrical about him for a long time and we know how important he is for Aston Villa.”