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Jack Grealish dedicates first league goal in 16 months to late brother on anniversary of his death

He was visibly emotional in his post-match interview.

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 3rd April 2025

Manchester City star Jack Grealish held back the tears following his first Premier League goal in more than 16 months, but not in relief after breaking the duck, because it came on a very emotional day for him and his family.

The Man City and England midfielder opened the scoring in the Blues’ 2-0 win against Leicester City on Wednesday night, bringing an end to his goal drought after a total of 473 days.

But what made it even more special is that the game happened to coincide with the anniversary of his late brother Keelan’s death.

Speaking in his post-match interview after picking up the man of the match award, Grealish was in a noticeably quieter mood than his usual charismatic self before revealing that the day marked the 25th anniversary of his younger sibling’s death.

The 29-year-old went on to reveal that the date coincided with Keelan’s passing and acknowledged that it’s “hard on the family but [I’m] happy to score”.

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His mum and dad, Karen and Kevin, were up in the stands; it doesn’t need explaining why scoring in that particular moment was so special for all of them.

Clearly stirred by addressing what was a bittersweet occasion, he signed off by adding, “To score and to win was brilliant.”

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Keelan Daniel Grealish was just nine months old when he tragically passed away from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) back in 2000 – ‘Super Jack’ was just four at the time.

Paying tribute on social media after the game, the comments below his post were filled with love and support.

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Besides the goal itself, the former Aston Villa star was keen to reiterate that he was never brought to the club to score bags of goals and “has a lot more to offer” than just hitting the back of the net.

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Touching on his Grealish’s game and the tribute to Keelan during his post-match duties, manager Pep Guardiola went on to add: “Jack is an incredible human being; in terms of gestures and for the other people, he’s incredibly generous.

“I didn’t know that [it was the anniversary of his brother’s death]. I can’t imagine how tough it could be for mum, dad, sister, and all the family. It’s good on this day to remember him, I’m pretty sure they remember every single day.”

A lovely moment from a much-loved character around the Eithad Stadium as well as up and down the country. Rest in peace, Keelan.

You can watch the highlights from the game down below:

Three more points on the board for City and a big moment for the Brummy-born midfielder.

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Featured Images — Sky Sports (screenshots via YouTube)