England Call for Grealish? Everton Borrowed Star Giving Tuchel a Headache
Jack Grealish 'has helped us an awful lot' - David Moyes
Match official the official had barely blown the final whistle to confirm Everton's last-gasp win over the Eagles when the club updated the bio on their X account.
Below the club's famous badge appeared a short phrase: Grealish Deserves England Call.
It's nearly a year since the attacking midfielder last sported a Three Lions shirt in a three-one international win over the Finns in Helsinki under interim manager the former coach.
And it will be some time before the veteran player receives the chance to represent his national team again after being omitted from Thomas Tuchel's most recent squad for a friendly against Wales next Thursday, followed by a World Cup qualifier in Latvia on the 14th of October.
But one thing remains crystal clear: the playmaker is doing all in his power to force his way into the manager's plans for next summer's World Cup.
Having delivered several key passes in his first six top-flight appearances for Everton, Grealish scored the 93rd-minute winner to seal his team's comeback victory after the Palace keeper had saved the striker from close quarters.
Recorded at the 92nd minute, it was Everton's most recent home Premier League winning goal since March 2022 against the Magpies - 98 minutes and 20 seconds.
"Do you know what's mad?" said the star, in an interview with Sky Sports after the match.
"The last games we've played here we've been tied and I've said to myself in the closing stages, 'push yourself, go and score. Think about scoring a late goal'.
"I thought it against Aston Villa, and I failed to find the net. I said it against West Ham and I didn't score.
"This time, I actually said the same thing again and I put it in. I ran to where my mum and dad were, so it was nice."
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'England omission not a big deal'
The weekend's game was Grealish's last for three weeks - having just managed to put together six straight league starts for the initial occasion in nearly two and a half years.
He will be ineligible to face his owning team City when Everton return to action after the international break on 18 October.
It's over eight months before the kickoff of the global tournament. Will Grealish be on board the national team flight?
"You know what?" he shared with the radio station after the Palace game, "I don't think as serious as people make out."
"Ultimately, you aspire to play for the national team but people are performing strongly in my role. I'm also performing also, but the players selected last month did really well in the two games so I accept that with me.
"That's the manager's decision and I fully respect that."
He added: "My priority is playing for this club because that's who showed faith in me and had confidence in me, so I'm thoroughly loving it here."
But, ex-international Wayne Rooney informed the media that the player's performances for the Merseysiders will be giving Tuchel a "selection problem".
"All Jack can do is keep doing what he is doing, clearly scoring a goal today," said Rooney, who netted 53 goals in 120 appearances for England.
"I'm sure if he keeps doing that he will be there or thereabouts come the summer.
"If Jack plays, his talent will shine through, so I'm confident he'll be giving the England manager a dilemma."
'In the right place'
Jack Grealish featured in several top division matches last season - he's started six since moving to Everton in the summer.
Tuchel maintains the door remains open for the playmaker, who has numerous international appearances and four goals for his country, in terms of the World Cup next summer.
"There is always a way back into the camp," the national team coach stated on last week.
"Jack knows that I see how influential he is for Everton and that he is on his path to be the top form of himself."
During his several league games since arriving on a temporary deal from Manchester City, he has played 556 minutes, had multiple contributions, set up numerous opportunities and had several attempts.
"Jack's done great again," remarked manager the coach after his side's first win since late August.
"I've been urging him to get goals. He is always in the right place.
"Iliman Ndiaye's cross was fantastic and Beto should have scored. But Grealish is positioned well to get the goal."
The manager revealed the player had missed training during the week because of a slight issue, adding: "He's needed to miss the odd day of training but he is doing a lot of good things."
The midfielder was not the sole individual excluded from Tuchel's England squad who managed to score this round of fixtures.
The forward scored once more for the Spanish giants - although they were defeated 4-1 at Sevilla - while Mason Mount scored in Manchester United victory over the Black Cats on the weekend.