There is a different Grealish at Everton

26/08/2025 07:42:00 SportScoop

After two appearances in his new Everton kit, Jack Grealish shows signs of a star reborn. His first notable contribution was a pair of assists in last weekend’s 2-0 win over Brighton.

Few Everton supporters anticipated this in David Moyes’ first match at the new home ground Hill Dickinson, replacing the familiar Goodison Park, which had served as their stadium for 133 years but is now part of history.

Two assists at the new home stadium

This represents an investment estimated at £750 million by owner Farhad Moshiri. During the summer transfer window, Everton spent nearly £80 million on new signings, with the standout move being the loan of Jack Grealish from Manchester City. The 29-year-old midfielder will cost up to £12 million in wages this season, with a £50 million option to buy.

Grealish is the perfect embodiment of Everton’s message to fans entering the new stadium about a new era beginning. The former Man City midfielder candidly said, "As soon as I spoke with David Moyes on FaceTime, I wanted to join Everton and the win over Brighton explains why." His performance reminded everyone why Man City invested £100 million to sign him from Aston Villa four years ago. His two assists in Everton’s first home game exceed his total assists for Man City last season (only one). It’s hard to ask for more in Grealish’s first start for Everton, where expectations are high for him to be reborn—not only to salvage his career after being sidelined by Pep Guardiola last season but also to aim for a future return to the England squad.

Both assists Grealish made last weekend are worth highlighting. The first set up Iliman Ndiaye to open the scoring. Notably, Ndiaye, born in 2000, has been a witness to key moments for Everton. He scored the final goals at the old Goodison Park in a 2-0 win over Southampton near the end of last season. This season, the Senegalese striker was the first to score at the new Hill Dickinson stadium. For the second assist, Grealish paved the way for left-back James Garner to become the first Merseyside-born player to score at the new stadium. Grealish could have had a hat-trick of assists if Dwight McNeil had made the most of a late opportunity.

Grealish is being reborn in Everton colors with two assists in the victory over Brighton

A symbol of Everton’s transformation

It is no exaggeration to say Grealish symbolizes the transformation Everton hopes to achieve at their new stadium. In recent years, Moyes’ team has often been associated with mistakes in transfers and season outcomes. The building of Hill Dickinson faced many difficulties for Everton, from turbulent ownership changes to two points deductions—10 points (later reduced to 6 on appeal) in November 2023 and another 2 points in April 2024—both due to violations of Premier League financial rules. These setbacks once suggested the stadium might witness Everton playing in the English Championship until Moyes returned for his second spell and successfully kept the team up last season. Hill Dickinson is also among the stadiums chosen by England to host EURO 2028 in nearly three years. Everton’s need to move to a new stadium is clear, and Moyes did not hide this ambition during his first tenure: "You may have visited many stadiums worldwide, but Hill Dickinson will feel different because I think about the people who have invested effort and money to make this new stadium happen." A new stadium needs new icons worthy of it, and Grealish is taking his initial steps toward becoming a symbol at Hill Dickinson. There is still plenty of time for Grealish to revive himself during a season where Everton aims to reclaim the status they had in Moyes’ first tenure.

Everton’s desire to move to a new stadium is very clear, and Moyes openly expressed this wish during his first management period: "You may have been to many stadiums worldwide, but Hill Dickinson will offer a unique feeling because I think about the people who have put in the effort and money to create this new stadium."

A new stadium requires new icons that match its stature, and Grealish is taking his first steps toward becoming a flagship figure at Hill Dickinson. There is still ample time for Grealish to be reborn in a season where Everton is searching to regain the position they held during Moyes’ initial tenure.

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