Is anyone else relieved James Maddison has not been selected for the England squad?
Iâm thrilled for Dominic Solanke â it is great to see his hard work rewarded. Although unlikely to feature much in the games, it is a useful confidence boost to be recognised in this way, and a good opportunity to train with a different set of elite professionals.
But Madders? We will keep him wrapped in cotton wool thank you very much. After a blistering start to his Spurs career last season, Maddison struggled following the injury he sustained against Chelsea. In fact, last season followed a familiar pattern for the midfielder: a strong start followed by an injury, resulting in an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to regain his form before the summer break.
Clearly he was devastated not to be included in the England squad for Euro 2024, but it gave him the perfect opportunity to rest, train and return to the Premier League in optimum condition. So I was expecting big things this season. Captivating creativity. An abundance of assists. Glorious goals.
So far he has two assists and two goals in the Premier League, and one assist in the Europa League. Not exactly electrifying, but pretty decent statistics nonetheless.
In addition, his overall play has improved â particularly his movement off the ball. He is starting to play with that swagger again, and confidence is everything with playmakers like Maddison.
It also helps when he has a point to prove as his play becomes more purposeful and unrelenting â something that was evident in his first half performance against Brighton. The less said about anyoneâs performance in the second half of that game, the better.
Selfishly, I hope missing out on a spot in the England squad will help Maddison have a better season for Spurs.