WHAT DR WILSON SAID
Speaking to investment platform Saxo, the football finance expert said: "When these brands associate with athletes, they do so on the basis that they think those athletes will realise certain goals and objectives. Clearly, as part of the conversation in the activation of a partnership between Grealish and Hellmann's, they expected him to be on the plane to Germany as part of the England squad.
"The fact that he hasn't gone does two things; it perhaps reduces the value of the exposure, which would likely be represented in his contract. If they are not generating off the back of it, then he will not be either.
"Conversely, because he is not on the plane, he might be more available for brand activation work and he is still marketable as an England and Manchester City football player.
"The biggest challenge for Jack Grealish is the image currently being presented around him which is that he is a party boy on the lash, who is always drunk. It's almost like a playful rogue like Freddie Flintoff, but I actually think he has less leeway because he is a footballer.
"So actually I think the bigger challenge for that partnership is whether or not Hellmann's want to continue the partnership with Jack Grealish because the image he is portraying might not align with their values.
"A good tournament for a high-profile player could yield them something like £10 million, in the short-term. He will absolutely take a short-term hit on the basis he is not there, although it is difficult to crystal ball gaze and say exactly how much he is going to miss out on long-term.
"The missed opportunity could go into the double-digit millions quite easily, let's say he scored the winning goal in the Euro 2024 final? Brands would have been crawling all over themselves to work with him.
"His form, however, has been dreadful. Marcus Rashford has been dropped out of the squad before it was even announced and comparatively had a better season than Jack Grealish did."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
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Grealish was part of England and Southgate's 33-man preliminary squad but was axed from the 26-man final list alongside James Maddison, Jarrad Branthwaite, Curtis Jones, James Trafford, Jarell Quansah and Harry Maguire. For Grealish, his importance also fell in Pep Guardiola's side over the last season with a change in system putting him down the pecking order.
