Aston Villa’s primary man was Jack Grealish. He’s a vital piece in Manchester City’s well-oiled machine. Grealish has yet to truly identify himself for England, it is fair to say. He has yet to truly seize a game by the scruff of the neck and make it his own.

If he’s ever going to accomplish that, there’s no better stage than the World Cup, and no bigger game to do it in than tonight’s clash with Wales.

Will he be affected by the pressure? Most likely not. After all, he is a footballer who has been taught from an early age that “pressure is a privilege.” But what else contributes to his being the man he is today? In this interview, he chats to Men’s Health about how he learned to enjoy the gym, how he feels about opponents taking lumps out of him, and his future goals.

“I kid you not, I couldn’t do two pull-ups at the start of that.” By the end, I was completing four sets of eight pull-ups, followed by five sets of eight. I can now perform pull-ups all day. They are simple for me.”

“I enjoy going to the gym. It’s obviously excellent for your body, good for your mind, and good for when you’re stressed.”

“As long as I’m winning free kicks for my team in the right areas.” It doesn’t bother me.”

“Winning PFA Player of the Year is something you’ll remember for the rest of your life.” But, of course, you want your team to win cups, whether they be Champions Leagues, FA Cups, or Premier Leagues. They all mean so much to me. That is what I hope to do throughout my career.”

“I’d like to play at certain places. One day, I’d like to play in Spain. I’d want to play in the United States. I have a lot of things I want to do.”