Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish insists his focus is on winning trophies with his boyhood club - despite being linked with a summer move to Manchester United .
It was exactly a year ago that Grealish was handed the skipper's armband by boss Dean Smith following a three-month lay-off with a shin injury, and the 24-year-old has not looked back since.
On Sunday, Villa's talismanic leader will have the honour of leading his side out at Wembley in the Carabao Cup final against Manchester City .
City's rivals United, who Mirror Sport revealed missed out signing the playmaker for £200,000 in 2012, are keen to bring the midfielder to Old Trafford as part of their summer overhaul.
But rather than worry about his long-term future, Grealish wants to focus on Villa and believes his growing maturity has helped him realise what he wants to achieve in his career.
"A lot different," he told Sky Sports . "Everything that's happened in my life, good or bad, football-wise has set me up to be the person I am today. I wouldn't change anything.
"Everyone knows I've had a bit of bad press when I was a bit younger, but I wouldn't change it. That's made me who I am today.
"I think I've already started [a new chapter]. In the past year, you have certain stuff happen and when I was out injured, I got two bad injuries a couple of years ago, a kidney injury and then I did my shins.
"I was out for three to four months, and when you're out everything kicks in really, you start to think about what you really want to achieve.
"When I was young I might have been a bit immature, but now I know what I want to do in my career, play for Aston Villa, play for England and win trophies. That's the aim."
While Sunday represents a huge opportunity for Villa to win silverware, the Midlands clubs are just one point above the relegation zone in the Premier League.
And Grealish accepts they have a battle on their hands to remain in the top flight.
"We're not performing as well as we can," he added. "We've come off the back of three defeats in the league, so I feel like we're not where we want to be at the moment. But I've always said during this season we're confident we'll stay up, you never know what'll happen in the future.
"I've always known what I can do and how good I can be, I've never really had any doubts, coming into the Premier League that I wouldn't be able to perform the way I am. Long may it continue, I'm scoring and creating a lot, and that's the main thing I need to be doing for the team."
