London, June 3 (IANS): England footballer Jack Grealish opened up regarding his lockdown breach in March that led to widespread criticism of the Aston Villa playmaker. The 24-year-old broke lockdown rules by attending a party and also reportedly crashed his car on March 29.

Grealish said he knew he made a big mistake by not following protocols put in place by the government to curb the spread of coronavirus.

His club had announced at the time that Grealish has been fined for poor behaviour and the money will go towards charity.

"I knew straight away that I had to come out and apologise myself, which I wanted to do -- I didn't want to hide behind a club statement,' Grealish was quoted as saying by the Guardian.

"I know I am a footballer but I'm still human and we all make mistakes and straight away I knew I'd made a mistake.

"I'm also a role model as well to a lot of people out there, especially young children who might look up to me," he added.

Grealish has linked up with his Aston Villa teammates in training as Premier League had earlier announced June 17 as the date when football returns to England albeit behind closed doors.

They currently occupy the 19th spot on the league table and have been touted as one of the teams who could be relegated this term.