"Cristiano Ronaldo, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and James Milner steer clear" - Stan Collymore warns Jack Grealish and urges clubs to outlaw 'consumption of alcohol'
Manchester City attacker Jack Grealish was heavily scrutinized after being captured partying hard with plenty of alcoholic drinks during his vacation break in Las Vegas last weekend.
Following the controversial episode, former Liverpool striker Stan Collymore has urged football clubs to outlaw alcohol consumption.
"I'd be saying this to any player whose party-boy antics saw him regularly wind up on the front pages of newspapers and websites – and I hope soon he will heed my advice," the former Liverpool star wrote in his column for the Mirror.
Jack Grealish leaving a nightclub in Las Vegas at 4am. https://t.co/vIkpCln6aI
"As crazy as this will sound to non-sports people, I'd actually like to see football clubs outlawing the consumption of alcohol by players altogether.
"The science is clear – alcohol seriously decreases athletic performance, which is why Cristiano Ronaldo, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and James Milner steer clear. Doing so hasn’t done those three any harm, has it?"
Stan Collymore went on to admit that the temptation to consume alcohol will always be there for players like Jack Grealish and his Manchester City colleague Phil Foden.
The 51-year-old, however, maintains that football in general should consider clamping down on alcohol, as it will have a positive impact, not only on the sport, but also on the wider society.
"Look, I get that in football, where the close season is short, the temptation to get hammered is strong even for those who drink almost nothing during the season.
"What is Jack Grealish actually doing wrong by being in Vegas enjoying his time off?!" 👏🍻
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"And it’s not easy for such as Grealish, Phil Foden or any number of young British players because having a skinful and letting your hair down is very much a part of our culture.
"But perhaps if football implemented a no-drinking rule it might just have a positive effect on our wider society. And if lorry drivers and machine operators are tested regularly for the levels of alcohol in their systems, why not do it with our footballers?"
Jack Grealish's numbers for Manchester City last season
The attacker had his debut outing with Manchester City last season following his £100 million mega transfer from Aston Villa in August.
However, he had a slow start to life at the Etihad Stadium, struggling to impress in Pep Guardiola's star-studded team.
Jack Grealish contributed a paltry six goals and four assists in 39 appearances for the Cityzens across all competitions during the campaign. All eyes will be on him to find his feet at the club next term.