Michael Owen has slammed the Aston Villa supporters who booed Jack Grealish – and told them to ‘hang your heads in shame’.
The England star joined Manchester City for £100million from Villa in August 2021, and received a hostile reception from some fans as he returned to Villa Park in a 2-1 defeat with his current side on Saturday.
GettyFormer Liverpool star Michael Owen has leapt to Grealish’ defence[/caption]
Grealish was once a hero in claret and blue, having risen through the youth ranks at his boyhood club, who he joined at the age of six.
He went on to make over 200 appearances for Villa, helping them to reach both the FA Cup and EFL Cup final, and captained them to promotion back to the Premier League in 2019.
But sections of the home crowd were happy to overlook this at the weekend, with many clearly still bitter at the winger’s big money departure over three years ago.
Grealish played the entirety of the match in the Midlands, and was subject to boos and jeers every time he touched the ball.
This prompted the 29-year-old to react angrily at full-time, as he held up three fingers towards his former fans to signify the three Premier League titles he has won since joining City.
And ex-Liverpool and England goal machine Owen has now leapt to Grealish’s defence after his treatment at Villa Park.
The former striker also experienced a hostile homecoming when he joined Manchester United in the latter years of his career, despite previously starring at Anfield for their bitter rivals.
He took to X to pen a furious 711-word rant, and claimed that the Villa faithful’s treatment of Grealish made his ‘blood boil’.
The 45-year-old wrote on Monday: “I often hear or see things in football that makes my blood boil. Most people will probably feel the same at some point or other.
He continued: “There was another story at Villa Park yesterday that genuinely left me feeling sick to the bottom of my stomach.
Taking aim at the fans, Owen went on: “There will always be kind, honest, generous, respectful, caring people in all walks of life just as there will always be nasty, jealous, spiteful, bitter people too.
“Your job or where you’re from doesn’t necessarily make you fall into a certain category.
“But to those Villa fans who booed Jack Grealish yesterday, you fall into the second category and should hang your heads in shame.”
Owen then proceeded to highlight the Englishman’s contribution over the years at Aston Villa.
He added: “Here is a lad that came through YOUR academy. Supported The Villa all his life and no doubt still does.
“He single-handedly dragged YOUR team back into the Premier League when you were bang average at best.
“He kept you up and in hindsight, showed you ten times more loyalty than you are now showing him. He was hardly ever injured and delivered Man Of The Match performances on a regular basis.
“He cost you nothing, gave you incredible service and made YOUR club over £100m when he left.”
A lifelong Villa supporter, Grealish has previously opened up on the difficulty of leaving his beloved club, and admitted that he had been been in tears over his departure.
And this was not lost on Owen, who was quick to point out Grealish’s true allegiance.
He wrote: “Who knows what will come next but Jack could retire tomorrow and will have had a career most footballers can only dream of.
“I’ve said it many times but I’ll say it again. Footballers are generally fans before they sign their first professional contract and when they retire they become fans once again. In between it’s a job!
Owen then finished off: “In Jack’s case he is and always will be very proud of where he comes from and so it must be heartbreaking for him to have to endure the mindless and pathetic booing that he had to listen to yesterday.”