Jack Grealish reveals why he chose No.18 at Everton

Rajarshi has been part of Khel Now since 2022, and he covers world football.

Published at :August 13, 2025 at 9:00 PM

Modified at :August 13, 2025 at 9:18 PM

Jack Grealish reveals why he chose No.18 at Everton

The England international will sport the number 18 at Everton.

Jack Grealish has completed his season-long loan move to Everton and will aim to revive his career after failing to live up to the £100 million price tag at Manchester City.

The England international has inherited the shirt number 18, and when asked why he has chosen that specific number, the 29-year-old said:

“There is a reason for choosing the number 18… my two favourite English players ever are Wayne Rooney and Paul Gascoigne and I know they both wore number 18 here.”

Grealish hopes to imitate Rooney and Gascoigne’s great careers at Everton

Grealish is a big fan of Rooney and Gascoigne and hopes to emulate their career during his short spell at the club. He has endured a disappointing tenure at City, despite winning Premier League and Champions League titles.

The forward couldn’t leave a lasting impression, and last season, he fell down in the hierarchy with the arrival of Jeremy Doku. It was clear that a move away from City for regular game time was a better option.

Pep Guardiola Manchester City — Grealish fell down the pecking order under Pep Guardiola at Man City last season (Photo via DFL/Bundesliga)

He will look to leave behind those difficult times and start afresh. At Everton, he will be hoping to make a positive impression among the fans and can be a crucial figure under David Moyes to lead the club.

His performance will also be important in deciding his fate for the upcoming FIFA World Cup, as he will be hoping to be among the players to be included in the England squad for the tournament next year.

For now, Grealish’s key objective is to resurrect his career and demonstrate he still has all the qualities to influence the game and make the most of his loan spell at Everton in the upcoming season.

City look to replace Grealish with Rodrygo

Meanwhile, Man City have been linked with Rodrygo and are looking to push for his signing to bring a replacement for Grealish. They are aiming to challenge for the title after failing to win trophies previous campaign.

Why did Grealish take number 18 at Everton?

He took No.18 because his favourite players Rooney and Gascoigne sported that number.

Did Grealish join for Toffees permanently?

He will play for them in a season-long loan.

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Rajarshi Shukla

After earning a bachelor's degree in mass media, Rajarshi began his career as a sports writer in 2019, driven by his passion for sports journalism. He has been working in the field for over six years. A devoted fan of Lionel Messi and Barcelona, Rajarshi has been involved in sports since childhood. Before turning his focus to journalism, he even represented his college at the state level. Along with covering football, he enjoys playing the game, watching movies, and experimenting with new recipes in his spare time, as cooking is one of his favorite hobbies.