Paul Lambert has fined teenage winger Jack Grealish for posting a message on Twitter reading: ‘Can’t wait to be happy playing football again.’

The 19-year-old included a photograph of himself smiling while on loan at Notts County last season, where he scored five times in 38 games.

Lambert said he was ‘not happy’ with the social media statement, which was interpreted by some fans as suggesting his frustration at a lack of game time. The Villa manager had a meeting with Grealish, who has deleted the tweet, and instructed him to focus on football in no uncertain terms.

Jack Grealish has been fined by Aston Villa for suggesting he is unhappy with his current situation at the club

Grealish hinted he was keen on sealing a move away from Villa Park in order to play regular football

Grealish, one of the country’s most promising talents, penned a new four-year deal last October as Premier League clubs circled his signature, but he has appeared infrequently since.

He has started Villa’s two cup games and made it off the bench in nine Premier League matches – but has been left out of Villa’s last two squads as Lambert leans towards experience.

A host of Championship clubs are believed to be interested in taking Grealish on loan this window, but with Lambert’s move for Scott Sinclair ‘dead’ he does not wish to lose an option out wide.

He has fielded no enquiries for Grealish, who is recovering from a virus and may play some part in the FA Cup match against Bournemouth.

Paul Lambert has told Grealish to concentrate on his football as nobody cares if he is 'boiling an egg'

‘I think he should stay off tweeting, that’s what I think,’ said Lambert. ‘I wasn’t happy. I told him to concentrate on football. I don’t think anybody needs to know he’s boiling an egg, you know. Personally nobody’s asked me for Jack (on loan).’

Lambert believes Carles Gil may be his only January signing as he battles to improve Villa’s dreadful scoring record of just 12 goals all season.

‘At the minute it doesn’t look like more additions,’ said Lambert. ‘Scott Sinclair one is dead anyway. Not going to go anywhere.’ Lambert insists he would love an FA Cup run to invigorate his team.

He said: ‘I got pilloried last year. The FA Cup is vital to this football club and we will go and try and win it. We have to have a cup run.