Jack Grealish will be the ‘enemy’ when he faces us, warns Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard

Steven Gerrard has warned Jack Grealish he will be Aston Villa’s ‘enemy’ for 90 minutes when he returns to Villa Park but urged supporters to give a warm welcome to their former captain.

Grealish is back at his old club for the first time since joining Manchester City for a British record £100million last summer, though after missing City’s last three games with injury he may be fit enough only for a place on the bench.

‘I don’t see anything other than a positive reaction, but once the game starts, he’s the enemy and we want to compete against him,’ said Gerrard. ‘We want to make it as difficult as we can for him and his team.

Manchester City star Jack Grealish set to face Aston Villa for the first time since £100m move

‘I hope he gets a warm and positive reaction before the game. I think the supporters are very grateful for what Jack gave to this club.

‘They see him as one of their own, coming through the academy. He performed extremely well and helped them get back to the Premier League by bring a really influential figure.

‘There are strong relationships here with Jack, which we very much respect. But from his side and ours, we need to be professional and get on with the game. Jack is a competitor and he will be focused on the job in hand.’

Steven Gerrard has urged supporters to give a warm welcome to former captain Grealish

Gerrard is aiming for a third straight victory since taking over as Villa boss after leading his side to wins over Brighton and Crystal Palace. 

He will be without forward Danny Ings, who is again suffering from injury problems after only recently recovering from a hamstring problem.

Gerrard added: ‘This is the acid test. The first couple of weeks have seen big results and positive performances, but we need this type of game to find out where we are.’