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Dean Smith: 'Jack Grealish has been in top five players this season'

Dean Smith: 'Jack Grealish has been in top five players this season'
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The pair have excelled in the Premier League this season.

Aston Villa boss Dean Smith believes there is room for Jack Grealish and James Maddison with England.

Villa captain Grealish has been tipped to win a debut England call-up for the Euro 2020 warm-ups against Italy and Denmark this month.

He has been compared to the Foxes' James Maddison, who made his Three Lions debut in November versus Montenegro.

With Marcus Rashford sidelined with a back problem and captain Harry Kane out with a hamstring injury, Gareth Southgate's attacking options are limited.

Grealish and Maddison face each other when Leicester host Villa on Monday and Smith feels the pair can feature for England together.

He said: "They are different players playing for different clubs with different styles.

"Jack has proved to me already what he can do in the Premier League.

"He's not been in the Premier League because Aston Villa have been in the Championship for three years but he's proved to everyone what he can do and has been one of the top five players this season."

Villa are second bottom in the Premier League, two points from safety, after losing their last three top-flight games.

Leicester are winless in their last four league games and lost to Villa in the Carabao Cup semi-final last month.

They are third in the table but Smith believes the Foxes can keep challenging Liverpool and Manchester City for the title, having won a shock crown four years ago.

He said: "They've shown it for long periods this season. They've dropped off but it's tough because they (Liverpool and Man City) are two exceptional teams.

"But they are the closest to them at the moment and it will depend on what they do in the market in the summer."

Victory would lift Villa out of the relegation zone after drop rivals Bournemouth and Watford lost at the weekend but Smith refused to think about their position.

He said: "I don't look at it, the players may look at it. As far as I am concerned we have 11 games left and if we win them we are comfortable.

"If we win the one we have in hand we are out of the bottom three. It is certainly not all doom and gloom. It is not where I want to be, obviously.

"But we can do something about it and the players know they can do something about it too."

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Aston Villa boss Dean Smith on March 1, 2020
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