Jack Grealish has said he did not agree with Gareth Southgate's decision to leave him out of England's European Championship squad and has admitted he found it hard to watch the team's progress in Germany over the summer.
Grealish was a surprise omission from Southgate's 26-man Euros squad after being cut from the provisional group, having been at the previous two tournaments.
The Manchester City winger returned to the squad under Southgate's successor, interim head coach Lee Carsley, last month and started back-to-back Nations League games against the Republic of Ireland and Finland, scoring in Dublin.
Grealish, who found the net just three times for champions City in the League last term, acknowledged that he was outscored by other players in his positions but believes his all-round game and experience should have counted for more.
"I'll be honest with you, I didn't really agree with [Gareth's decision] because it's just me," Grealish said ahead of this month's Nations League games against Greece and Finland.
"I felt like I didn't have the best season. You know, I didn’t... You look at some players, for example, in my position, even the likes of Phil Foden, Anthony Gordon, Jarrod Bowen, people like this, they scored a lot of goals, which 100 per cent I agree with.
"But I just know that my game is not just about goals. I think I give so much more to the team than just goals. And I think you need a bit of a balance in every position on the pitch and I class myself as quite an experienced player now. I’ve played in quite a lot of big games, Champions League finals, FA Cup finals and I've won a lot of stuff now.
“So, yeah, you know, you asked me do I think I should have [gone]? And I still think that, yeah, I should have but obviously it weren’t meant to be."
England finished as runners-up for a second consecutive Euros, losing 2-1 to Spain in the final after an underwhelming but dramatic run through the knockouts.
"I'll be honest it was difficult to just even like, you know, watch the games," Grealish continued.
“Just watching them was difficult because at the end of the day everyone there is like my close friends, and I obviously wanted them to do well. But then also you don't want to miss out on winning the Euros.
"Unfortunately for the guys they didn't manage to get over the last hurdle but, yeah, it was obviously really difficult to watch. Just to watch any of the Euros games, to be honest, when you're not involved in it, and especially for someone like me who watches so much football.
"Yeah, it was difficult, but then as soon as I come back into pre-season then with Man City I knew that I had to have a good season and come back stronger for it. I feel like at the moment I have done.”
Of Grealish's 36 caps under Southgate, 15 were from the start, with the 29-year-old more often used as an impact sub from the left wing.
But he started both last month's matches under Carsley at No.10 and says he feels valued by England's stand-in boss.
"I don't think I started two games in a row for about... maybe I did at the start of my England career when I played against Belgium, but apart from that I can't really remember starting twice in a row for England," Grealish said.
"It was nice to play in the number 10 role. We've got so many good players here that want to play in that role and like to play in it.
"You know, Cole [Palmer], Jude [Bellingham], Phil [Foden], but then again I have so many at my club as well. I have Phil, Kevin De Bruyne, [Mateo] Kovacic, Bernardo Silva that all love to play in that role as well.
"So, it's nothing that I'm not used to. I always feel like I can play in the number 10 or off the left as well, so it's good that I can play in both positions. But, yeah, listen, there's so much quality players here, especially in those attacking areas, so it'll be a pleasure to play with all of them.”
"I’ve felt a lot of love from the manager," he continued.
"You know, just little stuff, just playing me in both of the games last month. And I hope I repaid him with, obviously, scoring in Dublin. I would have liked to have scored in the second game, but I think that game was just made for Harry [Kane].
“I think since he's been given the job he's been brilliant and I can't speak highly enough of him.
"The training sessions that we've had and the way he gets it across to us of how he wants us to play and how he wants me to play personally.
"When you've heard the way that younger lads that was with him at the 21s spoke about him, you know like a proper like father figure also. I’ve seen that myself since I've been working with him."
