Jack Grealish managed to injure himself lifting the Championship play-off trophy as Aston Villa celebrated their return to the Premier League following a 2-1 win over Derby.
Headed goals from Anwar El Ghazi and John McGinn either side of the break appeared to put Villa out of sight before Derby substitute Jack Marriott pulled one back for Frank Lampard’s side with a tidy finish inside the box.
The Rams threatened to equalise in the dying moments of the game but failed to find the back of Jed Steer’s net meaning Villa will be playing Premier League football next season after three years in the second tier.
Grealish, among the league’s standout players this term, was overwhelmed with emotion after captaining his boyhood club to victory and was beaming with pride as he lifted the trophy on the podium with Villa’s supporters in dreamland at Wembley.
The midfielder sliced his own face open as he waved the silverware above his head and was sporting a nasty cut as he continued his celebrations.
He didn’t let it ruin his moment…
Jack Grealish has cut his eye open on the Championship play-off final trophy ??
Report: https://t.co/NrJKXdNYcn pic.twitter.com/oNdcZYuh0J
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) May 27, 2019
‘Me and Chezzy [James Chester] have gone up there, shared the trophy, and he’s given me a little nudge and stuck the trophy on my eyebrow,’ he explained to Sky Sports.
‘It’s slit my eyebrow open! I ain’t gonna be looking too good for the celebrations tonight!’
Grealish hailed goalscorer McGinn in the aftermath of Villa’s victory.
‘I’m speechless, I really am. It was such a hard game against a great team we knew it was going to go down to the wire,’ he said.
‘Like I’ve said in my last ten interviews, when I look around me and I’ve got John McGinn, I’ve got Tammy [Abraham], I’ve got Anwar, I feel like we can beat anyone.
‘I can’t even explain to you how happy I am for this guy [McGinn]. Since he’s been here he’s been absolutely unbelievable.
‘He’s such a popular figure in the dressing room, off the pitch. He gets so much credit off the fans and we can all see why.’
