@FootynewsJack Grealish had a rule in 2019, and honestly it's the kind of thing that makes football so weird and great. He was 23, captaining Aston Villa, and there was a specific pair of boots he trusted with his life. The story goes back to 2018, when a serious injury had him sidelined, and he came back wearing those same boots. Then he scored against Derby County in them. At Wembley, in the Premier League promotion playoff final, he didn't miss a single minute, and those boots were on his feet the whole way. The superstition wasn't subtle either. He wore that exact pair for 13 consecutive matches, and during that run he put up 4 goals and 3 assists. Eventually the boots got destroyed, which should have been the end of it. But there was this rule that they could not be absent for the biggest match of the season. So Grealish followed the ritual, whether it was the original pair or a replacement, and wore them for the final. Aston Villa got promoted to the Premier League after that match. Sometimes superstition just works.

@FootynewsJack Grealish had a rule in 2019, and honestly it's the kind of thing that makes football so weird and great. He was 23, captaining Aston Villa, and there was a specific pair of boots he trusted with his life. The story goes back to 2018, when a serious injury had him sidelined, and he came back wearing those same boots. Then he scored against Derby County in them. At Wembley, in the Premier League promotion playoff final, he didn't miss a single minute, and those boots were on his feet the whole way. The superstition wasn't subtle either. He wore that exact pair for 13 consecutive matches, and during that run he put up 4 goals and 3 assists. Eventually the boots got destroyed, which should have been the end of it. But there was this rule that they could not be absent for the biggest match of the season. So Grealish followed the ritual, whether it was the original pair or a replacement, and wore them for the final. Aston Villa got promoted to the Premier League after that match. Sometimes superstition just works.