Jack Grealish gets his head in the game during training (Picture: Javier Garcia/Shutterstock)

Jack Grealish has revealed he ‘regrets’ his dig at Miguel Almiron, saying he has reached out to the Newcastle star to apologise and admitting he does ‘some stupid stuff sometimes’.

Grealish mocked the Paraguay forward by claiming team-mate Riyad Mahrez ‘played like Almiron’ and needed to be substituted against Aston Villa as Manchester City won the Premier League title in May.

But Almiron appeared to take the jibe in good humour and has eight league goals this season – seven more than Grealish.

And yesterday Grealish insisted he wanted to ‘address’ the issue, explaining he had contacted Almiron through the Paraguayan’s team-mate Matt Targett.

‘I do some f***ing stupid stuff sometimes I do regret,’ he said ahead of England’s World Cup last-16 clash with Senegal on Sunday.

‘And I do regret it because I shouldn’t have done it but it’s in the past and if I ever played against him, I’d show him the most respect because that’s what he’s done in a situation where he probably didn’t have to. Fair play to him and I hope he keeps scoring.’

Miguel Almiron appeared to have taken Grealish’s jibe in good humour (Picture: George Wood/Getty Images)

The knockout games in Qatar have revived the prospect of a penalty shoot-out for an England team whose last experience of one ended in despair at the Euro 2020 final.

Pundit Roy Keane said Grealish should have taken a spot-kick on that occasion and the playmaker, who did not get the chance against Italy, feels as ‘one of the most technical players in the squad’ he would step up.

He added: ‘I couldn’t shy away, I couldn’t live with myself if I just didn’t take one so I would 100 per cent take one if it came down to it.’

MORE : Jack Grealish says Gabriel Jesus is ‘frightening’ in training and reveals what Bukayo Saka said about Arsenal striker

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