Roy Keane has tipped ‘outstanding’ Jack Grealish to start for England this summer and has compared the midfielder to Cristiano Ronaldo.

Grealish continued the excellent start to his international career with a stand-out performance in England’s 1-0 win over Austria on Wednesday evening, the Aston Villa captain influential throughout before receiving a standing ovation after being substituted.

The 25-year-old featured in a central role behind Harry Kane and produced another impressive performance in an England shirt, leading to further calls for his involvement in the starting side at this summer’s European Championship.

Grealish took his chance in an experimental side with Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United players left out due to their end-of-season European commitments, stating his case for a regular role despite competition from the likes of Mason Mount and Phil Foden.

Former Manchester United captain Keane was left impressed by the performance of the star, hailing Grealish for his ‘courage’ in receiving the ball in tight areas and comparing his demand of possession to former teammate, Cristiano Ronaldo.

“He’s a pure quality player,” Keane said 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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