Never Gonna Give Blue Up! Man City’s England star Jack Grealish channels Rick Astley with an 80s throwback as part of his £10m Puma brand deal

Manchester City star Jack Grealish has paid homage to the early 1980s and football’s ‘casual era’ during his first shoot as a Puma model since becoming the face of the brand.

However, many have drawn comparisons between the outfit Grealish has been pictured wearing and the outfit Rick Astley donned in the video for his hit song Never Gonna Give You Up in 1987. 

The Manchester City star was pictured wearing a sand coloured trench coat with blue jeans and white trainers as he sat in an Italian themed restaurant for Puma’s first-ever Palermo campaign. 

After watching branded video on social media, one fan commented: ‘Is that Rick Astley or Jack Grealish? I just can’t tell’. While another added: ‘Jack Grealish channeling his inner Rick Astley, amazing’. 

Puma have said they were trying to ‘bring together past and present football DNA’ with the ‘effortless Italian style philosophy’, stating Grealish was the perfect fit for the campaign. 

The campaign with Puma comes as no surprise considering Grealish signed the most lucrative boot contract ever handed to a British footballer by becoming the face of of the brand in March

Many have drawn comparisons between the outfit Grealish has been pictured wearing and the outfit Rick Astley donned in the video for his hit song Never Gonna Give You Up in 1987

The 28-year-old England international put his own spin on the Palermo range to help bring back the 80’s terrace style which was so popular among football fans back in the day. 

Grealish introduced vibrant new colour schemes and retro style fits into the range. He was pictured wearing light-washed denim and an oversized topcoat to pay homage to the 80’s. 

Grealish was also seen wearing pieces featuring bold hues and geometric patterns, before wrapping up the shoot by wearing a pitch-inspired look including a PUMA tricot and burgundy corduroy trousers.

The campaign with Puma comes as no surprise considering Grealish signed the most lucrative boot contract ever handed to a British footballer by becoming the face of of the brand in March, 2023. 

Nike sources at the time believed Grealish, who is one of the most marketable players in the Premier League, penned a deal worth around £10million a season for five years at Puma. 

Nike were unwilling to match Puma’s staggering figure as they have a larger roster of athletes. Plus, Puma were able to offer a more bespoke branding package to the Manchester City star. 

Speaking at the time of the deal, Johan Adamsson, Head of Sports Marketing at Puma Global, said: ‘We want to make Jack one of the most important brand faces in football and culture.’

Adamsson went on to add: ‘His [Grealish] position opens up opportunities to work with many of our fashion initiatives and to collaborate with him on his many personal causes.’ 

Grealish – who played an important role in helping Manchester City claim the treble last season – is also a prominent ambassador for Gucci and Bose, with his appeal attracting significant marketing interest. 

Nike sources at the time believed Grealish, who is one of the most marketable players in the Premier League, penned a deal worth around £10million a season for five years at Puma

Nike sources at the time believed Grealish, who is one of the most marketable players in the Premier League, penned a deal worth around £10million a season for five years at Puma