Tottenham Hotspur’s new hero James Maddison surprised Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka with a birthday gift and a kiss in a video showing the true harmony within the England squad.
Maddison, 26, was on hand to film a video on England’s social media page and deliver Saka a special surprise in another milestone in the 22-year-old’s career.
Saka was named England Men’s Player of the Year for the second year running, and unbeknown to him, he was to receive the award from Maddison as a birthday gift on Tuesday.
The Spurs man interrupted Saka signing England shirts to hand the youngster the award, who at first was wary and questioned Maddison: “What are you up to?”
READ MORE: 'I joined Arsenal last summer but had to leave this year – time was of the essence'
Saka then reluctantly wandered over to Maddison before slowly unwrapping the white and red wrapping paper and revealing a cardboard box.
The Arsenal winger asked Maddison: “Do you know what it is?” To which the smiling midfielder confirmed he did and Saka cautiously opened the box and peered inside.
Do you think Bukayo Saka was a worthy England Player of the Year winner? Let us know in the comments section.
In disbelief, Saka pulled out the award and exclaimed “not on my birthday, bro,” before Maddison shook hands and congratulated his North London compatriot, who was beaming from ear to ear.
Saka claimed the award for a second year running, pipping Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane who finished in 2nd and 3rd respectively.
It’s only the fifth time that a player has won the award back-to-back since it was first awarded to David Beckham in 2003. Saka joins Frank Lampard, Harry Kane and Wayne Rooney, who won it back-to-back twice for the achievement.
The award is handed to the player for their performance in the England side, omitting anything they do in domestic football, with Saka scoring four goals and assisting one in four European Qualifiers in 2023.
Source: Read Full Article