James Maddison is preparing for his second season at Tottenham Hotspur following a mixed start to life in North London.
The midfielder started his career at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with electric form, however, a bad injury in November last year set him back significantly.
His poor form in 2024 saw him miss out on being selected for Gareth Southgate’s European Championship squad.
But after a disappointing summer, James Maddison will be keen to turn things around as he prepares to face his former club Leicester in the first game of the season.
His manager Ange Postecoglou has explained why the 27-year-old continued to struggle after his injury but also why this season could be an exciting one for the England star.
Ange Postecoglou tips James Maddison to shine again for Spurs
Postecoglou has tipped Maddison to recapture the form that saw him dubbed by many as the signing of the summer during the first part of last season.
Speaking in his press conference ahead of the Leicester clash, the Australian coach said: “Even though it wasn’t a significant injury in terms of time out, it still was significant in that, you know, for Madders, it set him back a fair bit.
“Then, even when he came back, he had a couple of other smaller disruptions and I think when he came back into the team, we were kind of also struggling which doesn’t help him in terms of the kind of player he is.”
The 58-year-old now hopes his midfield maestro can use the disappointment of not being in England’s Euro 2024 squad as motivation to come back stronger this campaign.
“He had the disappointment with the Euros obviously, but he’s working hard at pre-season. The good thing is he’s fit and he’s laid himself a good opportunity and foundation to have another strong season,” Postecoglou added.
“I’ve sensed in Madders that he’s come back, he’s really determined to have a big season and hopefully, that gets him back in the England frame, but more importantly for us hopefully gets him back to the form we know he can have.”
James Maddison now faces strong competition from Lucas Bergvall
Maddison is expected to start the season as Tottenham’s first-choice number 10, however, he is likely to face some strong competition for his spot.
Lucas Bergvall arrived this summer from the Swedish top flight and looked really impressive during pre-season.
The 18-year-old showed many attributes of a player who could slot perfectly into Postecoglou’s midfield and become a top Premier League player.
Bergvall will be watching from the bench at the King Power Stadium but will certainly be ready to make his mark when called upon.
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