19 February 2023 , 11:00
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We still do not know if Gareth Southgate truly rates and trusts James Maddison.
The England manager took him to Qatar 2022 and, predictably, said all the right things and Maddison replied in kind. If I remember rightly, Maddison gave the first press conference at the training base in Al Wakrah and it turned out to be one of the most entertaining.
His enthusiasm was infectious. We never saw him again in Qatar. Maddison’s ingenuity would have come in handy in the quarter-final against France as England, for all their decent efforts, did not create enough good chances from open play.
But even if he had been fit – injury kept him out of the entire tournament – the chances of Southgate starting him would have been slim and none. The case now, though, for Maddison, who has had just over half an hour of international football, being key to Southgate’s Euro 2024 qualifying plans is even stronger.
Is there an individual Premier League player more crucial to his team’s fortunes than Maddison is to Leicester City? The statistics give some backing but are not overly compelling on that point.
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Leicester have lost six of the 10 games in which Maddison has not featured and have lost seven of the 18 games in which he has. But statistics never tell half the story and you only have to watch Leicester with and without Maddison to know that he is Brendan Rodgers’ most important player – and this is less than two years after Rodgers left him out of his FA Cup starting line-up.
James Maddison did not feature at the World Cup in Qatar (Getty Images)Should James Maddison be a regular at international level? Let us know in the comments below!
Maddison, who turned 26 in November, has matured into a wonderful footballer and leader but it is his impudence – on and off the park – that sets him apart. The high intensity of the Premier League has produced powerful midfield automatons. Artistry is at a premium and that is why Maddison stands out.
Back to the stats, if we must. With seven goals and four assists, he has been involved in 11 goals in his last 10 games, no wonder Leicester’s fortunes have taken a turn for the better. His stage today will be Old Trafford and it will be Maddison’s shop window.
His King Power contract expires at the end of next season and every one of the Premier League’s Big Seven – thanks to the Saudi dough, welcome, Newcastle – should be in for him this summer. He is worth a place in ANY of those midfields.
And if you are one of those types who likes to use completed transfers as the price guide for future transfers, then the £107million Chelsea paid for Enzo Fernandez must put Maddison close to the nine-figure mark.
How Graham Potter would love a Maddison in his ranks.
That transfer saga will be for the summer but, for now, Maddison’s job remains to truly convince the England manager. Because if this is some sort of new beginning for Southgate, Maddison needs to be front and centre of it.