Former Aston Villa striker Emile Heskey has claimed that Jack Grealish is exactly the type of player Manchester United have been missing in recent seasons.

Grealish has been heavily linked with a big-money move to Old Trafford when the transfer window reopens, particularly if Villa suffer relegation from the Premier League this term.

Heskey played alongside Grealish during his early years in the Villa first team, and he believes that the 24-year-old would do "very well" if he joined the 20-time English champions.

"There is every chance that Jack Grealish will join Man United in the summer. I don't think that Jack will be at Villa come the end of the season. He's done a phenomenal job for them since he started out at the club. I played with him when I was at Villa, he was only a young lad, he used to come and train with us – he was a phenomenal player even then and he has gone from strength to strength," Heskey told Genting Bet.

"He's taken everything on his shoulders at a young age. He's a very young captain but has been very positive with it. He's stayed at Villa a lot longer than a lot of people would have thought he would, so full credit to him. Villa will now get a decent fee for him and he'll go on and make a stellar career.

"I think Jack Grealish would do well at Manchester United. He's a commanding midfielder and the kind that they've missed recently. They have it now in [Bruno] Fernandes but having another one alongside him who could drive from the midfield – that's Jack all over. But Jack can play in several different positions very well. He would do very well at Manchester United."

Grealish has scored nine goals and registered eight assists in 31 appearances across all competitions this season.