Manchester City forward Jack Grealish has paid tribute to Dean Smith after his former Aston Villa manager was sacked on Sunday.
Villa made the decision to part ways with boyhood fan Smith after a run of five successive defeats in the Premier League, with Friday's reverse at Southampton proving to be the final straw.
Smith had been in charge for three years at Villa Park after taking charge with the club in the Championship. With the help of star man Grealish, he led them to promotion at the first attempt, and they survived on the final day of the season in their first year back in the Premier League.
That season also saw Smith take Villa all the way to the Carabao Cup final, where they were beaten by City, and they built on that
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