It has been clear for some time that if Aston Villa are to survive, it will be Jack Grealish who has been the key to keeping them up. Yet even if they do not, it will still be their captain who rescues them if they do fall.
There has never been a worse time to be relegated from the Premier League. Missing out on the riches of football's promised land is painful enough even without the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
The prospect of a season with no gate receipts, uncertainty over the Football League's television deal, a transfer market crash and potentially reduced parachute payments due to the £330million rebate to broadcasters, is enough to strike fear into any relegation-threatened club.