Lee Hendrie thinks Aston Villa's Jack Grealish should be playing Champions League football. 

Grealish has lit up the Premier League this season, registering 10 assists to help Villa into mid-table. However, they are currently 11 points adrift of the top four, suggesting that a place in Europe's top competition is still a distant dream at this point.

With this in mind, it's no surprise that Champions League clubs like Manchester City and Manchester United are believed to be admirers of Grealish.

Hendrie, who made 293 appearances for the Villans, was recently asked how he saw Grealish's future panning out.

The 43-year-old told GIVEMESPORT: "Jack Grealish is the main instigator in Villa's attack, Villa's forward play, and so you try and take him out the equation, you haven't got a De Bruyne to deal with, you haven't got a Sterling to deal with, you haven't got Foden to deal with.

"And this is where, Jack's in a team like that, he will just relish it because he will have that time and space, and it will be certain areas where he can get into. So, this is where he's got to make a decision, playing top-flight Champions League football where he's on a world stage.

"That's where I personally see Jack Grealish, but I'd personally love to see him with Aston Villa on that world stage and unfortunately it's going to take some time before that actually comes around."

It seems that Grealish could have a major decision on his hands this summer. He is set to turn 26 in September, and may feel that this is the right time for him to take the next step in his development.

Hendrie mentioned how he would like to see Grealish featuring in Europe for Villa, but that may still be some way off. Indeed, last September, the club's manager Dean Smith outlined how he wanted his team to be challenging in Europe in the next five years.

That seems like a reasonable plan, especially given Villa's progress this year, but will Grealish have the patience to wait that long for his opportunity to test himself against the best? By that time, he would be entering his thirties, and his best days may be behind him.

If Grealish does not want to hang around to see whether Smith's dream comes true, he could prove Hendrie right, and move onto a top four club soon.