James Maddison opens up on play style ahead of England’s clash with Ukraine, saying he does not make a ‘conscious effort to be a showman’ but ‘that’s just how I am as a person’
- James Maddison says his flashy style of play is ‘just how I am as a person’
- The midfielder has two goals and two assists after signing for Tottenham
- Now, he wants to make his mark on the England team after his latest call-up
James Maddison has admitted that his flair-filled style of play is all just part of his nature.
The Spurs ace has fit Spurs like a glove since making his £45million switch from Leicester, beguiling crowds with goals and assists and his trademark smile.
He was one of the club’s top targets this summer and it makes sense when he aligns so well with the entertaining style of play that Ange Postecoglou ploughs every ounce of his being into creating.
Now, he is on England duty as Gareth Southgate’s men look to extend their pefect run in Euro 2024 qualifying so far and book plane tickets to Germany next year.
‘It’s not a conscious effort to be a showman,’ he told The Independent, talking about his play style. ‘That’s just how I play football.
James Maddison explained that he does not make a ‘consicous effort to be a showman’, saying that it is ‘just how I am as a person’
The Spurs star has had reason to whip out his darts celebration after two goals and two assists in his new colours, and now wants to leave an impression with England
‘That’s just how I am as a person. [When] I go for a roast dinner with my family, I like to be the main man.
What qualifies somebody as the main man at a roast dinner sparked extended discussion on Twitter, and Maddison will be hoping to light more conversation against Ukraine today.
There’s still the matter of getting his England career really up and running. The 26-year-old has only made three appearances for his country and did not appear in Qatar, but with two outings this year – his first was in 2019 – there is a sense of upwards momentum.
He has assumed the vice-captaincy and No 10 shirt of Spurs, inheriting it from Harry Kane. ‘The club asked me, then of course I wanted to wear it,’ he said. ‘It’s my favourite number. I’ve got it tattooed on me, I loved that number growing up as a kid so I was never going to say no.’
He added in a chat with Mail Sport: ‘I want to entertain. When you start playing football as a kid, you don’t play for anything else.
‘There’s no politics, nothing like that. You play because you love playing football and you do the things you love and you become the player you become because of what you do and what you’re good at. That will never change for me. That’s non-negotiable.’
A brace of assists on his debut against Brentford and a couple of goals since have propelled him ever more into the England conversation – and people’s Fantasy Football teams – but he is under no illusions about the difficulty of nailing down a place in the national team – and then keeping it.
‘The minute you start thinking you’re comfortable and you’re in is the minute you’re probably most vulnerable.’
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