Two years ago today a legend was born in Birmingham. I remember watching this game and being stunned at how Hollywood it was. Star player gets attacked by lunatic opposing fan during an inner city rivalry game. Star player stays calm, cool, and collected during the chaos. Star player ends up scoring the winning goal later in the game. Star player fist pumps towards the crowd after the game and the fans erupt. You couldn't write it any better.
That was the first day I really took notice of Jack Grealish, when I first saw just how special of a player he was. Such talent and leadership, and back then he was still budding with possibilities and potential. To see where he's taken his game - and by extension his club - since then has been nothing short of remarkable. He's become my favorite athlete on the planet today, and Aston Villa has quickly turned into a team near and dear to my heart. I'm thankful to have caught this insane match back in March of 2019 and am glad YouTube has canonized the moment with the above clip.
He went on to say it was the best day of his life. Legend.
- ZB James