Everton loanee Jack Grealish has publicly responded to recent criticism following photos that emerged online showing him asleep at a Manchester rooftop bar last weekend. The Manchester City star, currently on a temporary spell with Everton, took to social media to express his eagerness to return to playing football after a significant injury layoff.

The images, which circulated earlier this week, depicted Grealish sleeping at a table surrounded by drinks. This occurred around the same time his parent club, Manchester City, was defeated by West Ham United at the London Stadium. Despite the optics, it was confirmed that Grealish had not breached any club disciplinary rules by being out in Manchester last Saturday.

On Thursday night, the England international posted a series of photos on Instagram, including one of him topless on an exercise bike. His caption, "April… Let me live hallelujah Cannot wait to be back playing football," served as a clear message to his detractors and highlighted his strong desire to resume his career on the pitch.

Grealish, aged 30, made the temporary switch to Everton during the summer transfer window after falling out of favour with manager Pep Guardiola at Manchester City. A primary motivation for his move to the Hill Dickinson Stadium was to secure regular playing time and enhance his chances of featuring in England's World Cup squad.

Under David Moyes, Grealish initially impressed for the Toffees, contributing two goals and six assists across all competitions. However, his campaign was prematurely cut short in January when he suffered a stress fracture in his foot, necessitating an operation that has kept him sidelined since.

Everton committed approximately £12 million to cover the majority of Grealish’s wages during his loan spell. The agreement with Manchester City also included a £50 million option to buy, though this valuation was primarily for accounting purposes rather than a firm expectation of a permanent transfer.

The ambition for Everton is to extend Jack Grealish’s stay for a second season, ideally on another loan agreement, with plans to formally explore this at the end of the current campaign. Providing an update on his recovery earlier this week, Grealish confirmed that his operation went extremely well and his surgeon is delighted with his progress, signaling a positive outlook for his return.