Jack Grealish, the Manchester City footballer, became a local hero at a Newcastle pub by generously spending £500 at the bar.
The football star surprised patrons when he visited North Biddick Social Club in Washington on Sunday.
Grealish, 29, quickly charmed everyone at the pub, where drinks are reasonably priced at £2.90 a pint.
His generous contribution was enough to buy approximately 200 pints for the regulars.
During his visit, Grealish took photos with fans and chatted with locals, including Richard Logan, 37, the brother of fellow England player Jordan Pickford.
According to a local pub-goer speaking to The Daily Mail, “Jack was incredibly kind.”
“£500 is a significant amount to cover drinks for the bar for several hours.”
“He was a star, and he’s welcome back anytime.”
News of Grealish’s presence rapidly spread, drawing more fans to the social club, which soon became crowded.
One person commented on Facebook about the rapid spread of the news.
Another person mentioned to the Mail that Grealish was with a couple of local friends.
“I believe they wanted a relaxed drink in a place where Jack could avoid any trouble.”
“However, word spread very quickly, and people started arriving from everywhere to see him. It’s quite unexpected to see a major football star here.”
“He was genuinely a very nice person.”
“He was very accommodating, happily talking with locals and posing for photos.”
“Paying for everyone’s drinks was incredibly generous and showed his class. He is definitely welcome to visit again.”
Grealish has faced a challenging couple of years at City, with fewer starts and losing his place in the England squad.
He has played 25 times for Pep Guardiola’s team this season across all competitions, scoring only twice.
Reports last month indicated that Inter Milan and Borussia Dortmund were interested in Grealish.
Guardiola has publicly questioned the £100 million player’s fitness and mindset this season.
Guardiola stated he wants the Grealish who helped win the Treble but emphasized players must compete for their place.
He added that players need to prove themselves every day to earn their position in the team.
