Malta star's remarkable Wembley run ahead of 'once-in-a-lifetime' England clash

17 November 2023 , 10:06

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Jodi Jones dreams of announcing himself at Wembley as the most exciting Maltese falcon since Humphrey Bogart's classic black-and-white Hollywood thriller.

‌Notts County's elusive winger will fulfil his “once-in-a-lifetime” ambition when he faces England at the temple of football with Malta, ranked No.171 in the world, in their Euro 2024 qualifier. And even if his former Coventry team-mate misses out for the Three Lions through injury, it won't diminish his conviction that James Maddison is one of a kind.

‌Jones, 26, is a Cockney by birthright and qualifies to play for the Mediterranean minnows through his father. He managed to swap shirts with Declan Rice after England's 4-0 win in Valletta five months ago, and he'll make no apologies for souvenir-hunting again.

‌“I dream big, so you never know what could happen,” he said. “The last time I played at Wembley we won promotion, and apart from the nerve-racking penalty shoot-out, the thing I remember most was our belief.

‌“I remember John Bostock telling me, 'Just get on the ball, Jodi – trust me, we're going to win this.' Even though we were chasing the game, it was the belief and him egging me on to keep going that I'll always treasure.”

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‌Jones might find the going a bit heavier against England – with or without Maddison – but the pair have stayed in touch on an ex-Coventry players' WhatsApp group chat. “His talent is ridiculous – and it was always there,” said Jones. “The thing I like about him is the way he always backs himself, how good he knew he could be, how good he knows he is now.

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Malta star's remarkable Wembley run ahead of 'once-in-a-lifetime' England clash

Jones is having a fine season with Notts County

‌“Some people might see it as arrogance, and the top players probably need a tiny bit of it, but he always believed he was the best, and when you go on the pitch with that mindset, things tend to pay off for you. I don't think I've ever seen a better first touch – it takes him past a player and into another area of the pitch in the blink of an eye, it's just ridiculous.

‌“I always knew how good he was and as an Arsenal fan, I wasn't too happy when he signed for Tottenham and I told him so. But you have to be happy for him that he's been creating goals, scoring goals in the Premier League - I hear people saying he's been the signing of the season, and I would probably agree.

‌“There are so many talents in this current England team it's ridiculous – Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka, Jude Bellingham – that it's not easy to pick one out. But Maddison is just different. I'm not saying he's the best in the world, but the way he plays stands out because he's different.

‌“At set pieces he's got it all, then there's the technique, first touch, scores goals, sets up goals... if you remember how big a star David Beckham was for England, I believe Maddison can be like that. He's so good at what he does and it's something England need. He can add something, he's a completely different player to anything else they've got.”

‌Jones, who played a key role from the bench as his club were promoted back into the League mainstream amid epic drama in the play-offs, always dreamed of playing international football at Wembley. He just didn't expect it to be for Malta.

‌“Growing up I was an England fan. I'm sure a lot of people have practised free-kicks in their back gardens and screamed 'Beckham!' as they take them – because I certainly did. But now I would rather be playing against them than watching them, and going back to Wembley to play international football will be very special.

‌“Most footballers don't get the chance to play at Wembley in their whole careers, but this will be the third time I've played there and I've got a 100 per cent record (after winning the EFL Trophy with Coventry before last season's play-off final) – so no pressure on the boys!

‌“It was a pinch-yourself moment when we played England in Malta last summer, but to take on some of the best players in the world at Wembley will be even bigger. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”