Jack Grealish learning to cope with the pressure at Aston Villa as he admits: "I'm in the best form of my life"

A stunning goal in Tuesday’s 1-0 win over Cardiff – in front of the future king - catapulted Grealish back into the national spotlight in a manner not seen since his breakthrough performance in Villa’s FA Cup semi-final win over Liverpool three years ago.

At least, that is, for matters on the pitch. For a while, a career which always promised plenty was under threat of being derailed by off-field distractions.

Yet since he returned from injury last November, Villa supporters have seen a very different player.

Tuesday’s goal was merely the culmination of several month’s impressive form, which Grealish himself regards as the best of his career to date. Cliched as it might sound, the one-time boy wonder is undoubtedly now a man.

“When I played that day in the semi-final, no-one was looking at me,” recalls Grealish.

“Everyone was looking at Benteke, Delph, all the Liverpool players. It was like a normal game with no bother and I wasn't fazed by it.

“When people start talking about you, it gets a bit tougher. But that is where the best players come into when the pressure is on, can they do it?

“You look at all the good players in the Premier League at the moment and that is why they are the best because they can deal with that pressure.”

Grealish might be playing in the Championship. Yet it those stars of the Premier League – the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Roberto Firminio – against whom he measure himself.

He credits Villa boss Steve Bruce with helping him find his feet. When Bruce was appointed 18 months ago, a then 21-year-old Grealish had already worked under four previous managers at Villa Park.

“The manager has helped me massively,” he says. “He has put so much trust in me. I'm happy with my form. I think it is some of the best form of my life, probably the best.

“It’s just little stuff. When I have a game where I am not at my best, I feel like certain other managers I would have dropped me straight away.

“This manager now has a trust in me that I can produce something. In games like QPR I wasn't at my best, Bolton too maybe, but he stuck with me.

“I scored at the weekend (against Norwich), scored against Cardiff and personally what I want to do is keep building my goals and assists as well as playing well and winning.”

Grealish has looked visibly stronger this season and more suited to the rough and tumble nature of the Championship. His work off the field with fitness coach Oli Stevenson has been well documented, while more attention than ever before is paid to his running stats.

“Me and the manager are always have a little joke about it,” said Grealish. “He always says something like I want you to get to 12km. He is always showing me Liverpool stats of Firmino and Kevin De Bruyne where they are.

“He feels if they can do it, why can't I? But most of the time Man City and Liverpool have got the ball.

“I think there was one game this season, against Burton, when I covered 12.4km.

“All the other games are just under. You can do everything on the training pitch, run all day but nothing compares to match fitness.

“Out there when you have everything going on and around the stadium it is all different. Me playing all these games helps. It helps it all come together.”

Another big atmosphere awaits Grealish tonight when Leeds are the visitors to Villa Park.

Victory would cement Villa’s position in the play-offs, though there is surely a temptation to wonder what might have been, considering the momentum which seemed to be behind them after last month’s win over Wolves.

Tuesday’s win was just their second in six games since and a top two finish now seems unlikely.

Yet Grealish’s focus, understandably, is on the positives.

“At the start of the season if someone would have said you will be five points off automatic promotion with four games to go I think people would have taken that,” he said.

“Especially considering we came 13th last season.

“You never know what can happen in the play-offs, you look around our dressing room and we have so much experience and so much talent and young and good players.

“We have everything really when it does come together and we will take that into the last few weeks of the season.”