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James Maddison: Tottenham midfielder on how having five young children helped distract from injury

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The Football Interview will be available on BBC One at 12:45 every Saturday during the Premier League season, as well as on BBC iPlayer, BBC Football YouTube and the BBC Sport website and app.

The first episode of the new season, available on Saturday, 22 August, sees Kelly Somers sit down with Tottenham Hotspur's James Maddison.

Tottenham midfielder James Maddison said he and his partner have been "in the trenches" at home with five children aged four and under during a period when he was sidelined from football with a serious knee injury.

The 29-year-old missed most of the 2025-26 season because of the ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) he suffered last August.

During his recovery, Maddison's partner gave birth to their second set of twins. He described it as the "toughest year of his life" but credited his family for helping him get through.

"I needed that positive distraction of my partner being pregnant and having to be there for her and forget about myself, even though I was going through a traumatic experience through my knee," he told Kelly Somers.

Despite that, life has not been easy.

"A lot of nappies flying about, a lot of accidents at home, but it'll all be worth it," he said.

"We still love it. I wouldn't change it for the world."

Maddison said that because of his prolonged absence from football, his eldest son Leo actually assumed at one point that he had left Spurs.

"I missed a year of football, and a year in a child's life - from three and a half to four and a half - it's obviously massive," he said.

"He couldn't even remember over a year ago when he was at all the games.

"It would be nice for him to come to the games again and actually remember Dad playing instead of just Dad sat at home watching him with a machine on his knee."

Spurs struggled last season, securing survival on the final day and finishing just two points above the relegation zone. Maddison said it was tough not to be able to help out.

"We probably struggled a little bit for creativity and I'm watching the games thinking, 'what would I be doing there?'," he said.

Despite those tough experiences, the midfielder described how Italian head coach Roberto de Zerbi helped lift the mood at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after taking over in March.

"He's very clever. He's very tactical. He's obsessed with football, you can see that," said Maddison.

"But to be honest, when he first came in – in comparison to pre-season and what we're training now - he didn't want to make it too complicated. He just wanted us to get the love back for playing football."

One of the first things the Italian did, revealed Maddison, was to organise a team meal, where alcohol was allowed.

The 29-year-old described De Zerbi telling his team: "We're all going to be drinking alcohol, we're all going to be having a good night."

Maddison explained: "He wanted us to have a night where we all just relax.

"That feeling that we got made everyone feel more knitted together, straight away."

Another thing De Zerbi did early on in his tenure was to put Maddison on the bench.

"I was almost like, 'I'm not ready to play yet, boss'," the midfielder said.

"But he said no. He said I can come on the bench in my slippers if I want. He just wanted me around the group and he thought that would benefit the group. I took that as a massive compliment and just acted as if I was part of the bench, part of the team.

"I'm not saying that's the reason why, but we managed to steer clear of the danger, which was a good feeling."

The midfielder made his return against Leeds on 11 May, but he has not been risked in pre-season so far. Despite that, Maddison remains confident for the season ahead.

"I'm working so hard to try and be fully fit and available for the majority of the season," he said.

"I want just a fully fit, healthy season where I can just enjoy football. Because if I'm fully fit and I'm healthy, then I know what I'm capable of. And I know that I can affect games more than a lot of players in this league. So, let's just hope for that."

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Premier League: Brentford beat Tottenham after wins for Hull, Ipswich, Everton and Leeds

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See you tomorrow

It's time for this live text to come to an end but make sure you tune into Match of the Day at 10pm and you can even watch the highlights on our website now.

We'll be back at 12:30pm tomorrow for more Premier League fun.

See you then.

'Senesi, Van Hecke & Tonali not in best condition'

FT: Brentford 3-0 Tottenham

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham manager Roberto de Zerbi, speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "Bad game. We lost and suffered the difference in the duels. It was the key of this game. We didn't fight in the right way. Maybe credit to them because it's the best quality Brentford have.

"Our physical condition was not at the right level for all players because many came later after the World Cup and there were many new players in the squad and first XI. But we have to analyse this game better because we can't play this way in this type of game.

"I am surprised by the result and performance. I knew we were not in the right condition. We can't find an excuse. I am sorry for the result and performance. We are starting a new project and we couldn't find the principal.

"Marcos Senesi, Jan Paul van Hecke and Sandro Tonali are not in the best physical condition. We knew that before the game. We have to improve on that and many other things, like organisation and pressing.

"We can improve quickly but first, we have to understand this game better. I know their physical condition and new players but we have to put something more. We had to fight more. Players know I have a lot of confidence in them and we hope to improve quickly."

On more signings: "I don't want the excuse that the first XI was not enough to compete and get a result. Brentford's spirit on the pitch was great, it has to be the right example for us."

'We were not ready to fight'

FT: Brentford 3-0 Tottenham

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham manager Roberto de Zerbi, speaking to Sky Sports: "We suffered physically but we knew that before the game. We were not ready to fight the duels. We made a lot of mistakes in the timing of the pressure with Mikey Moore. We arrived too many times late and we lost too many duels to compete with Brentford.

"I am sorry for the defeat. I know we have to improve in our physical condition, in the organisation. There were many new players but it was the first game. It's part of our journey. With a lot of new players, we knew we needed soul and style of play to become a team. Today I think there was the soul but we didn't fight in the right way."

On why the team did not fight in duels: "I believe in my players. Especially in the first half, we were not in the right position to make the right pressure. If you analyse the game, you can see how many duels we lost in the first half when the game went in Brentford's direction.

"We didn't play well. We didn't fight in the right way. Not because we didn't remember the last season. Because these players are good people and with value and memory. But we lost too many duels."

On whether the line-up will change in weeks to come: "The first XI should be able to compete normally if the game went in this way. I don't lose confidence in my players and these people. We have to work and improve, analyse the game better and find the improvement.

On which areas to improve: "We have to analyse this game. We cannot destroy everything because we are working well. Physical condition is not the same for all players because many started the season later.

"I don't want to make excuses but we need to keep improving. We need to find the right spirit to fight but today, it wasn't there. I expected better for sure. I didn't expect this result but I knew the problems we would find today."

'It's everything we dreamt of'

FT: Brentford 3-0 Tottenham

Brentford

Brentford goalscorer Keane Lewis-Potter, speaking to Match of the Day: "It's everything we dreamt of, we have been working so hard in pre-season. We want to make our stadium a ground where it's so hard to play for away teams. We have a special connection and it definitely shows."

On his goal setting the tempo for the game: "If we get one, we want to get two, three, four and keep on going. We don't want to sit back, that's not in our DNA."

On the new signings and the depth in the squad: "It's good for us as a squad to have fight sin training to see who is going to start. We have so much depth now, it helps us a lot."

On building on last season: "We know we can do better than that. It's only early but we can get better than that, definitely."

'No excuses for today'

FT: Brentford 3-0 Tottenham

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham midfielder Archie Gray, speaking to Sky Sports: "For some reason on days in football, a team can outfight another team, it's on us and the fans have been incredible."

On fitness in the starting line-up: "I don't think there's any excuses to be honest."

On hangover from last season: "We've got work to do, you saw that performance. It's definitely an improvement from last season. It's not the start we wanted, going into the mid-week game on Wednesday."

On looking ahead for the rest of the season: "The work we do in the week is about moving in the right direction but today we got out-fought."

On becoming Tottenham's youngest-ever Premier League starting captain: "It was an amazing moment and I'm grateful for the manager for trusting me but again, today wasn't good enough."

'Sangare was the one we were after'

FT: Brentford 3-0 Tottenham

Brentford

Brentford manager Keith Andrews, speaking to Sky Sports: "You never truly know where the opposition are at the start of the season. I am really happy with what we produced today. It was us from the first whistle.

"It was intensive, relentless and filled with a way of playing that is difficult to play against. It was filled with personality and togetherness that we have in abundance.

On Mamadou Sangare: "He is a top player, no doubt about it. He is the one we were after in the window. Club deserve a lot of credit. He deserves a lot of credit too, because he could have gone elsewhere for a few more bob. He recognised this would be a good place to come and he has settled quite nicely.

"When you bring in a really good player, it brings the level of the team up. But that is not to underestimate what we already had. We have the strength and depth. It was important the impact the bench had.

On playing style: "I am just comfortable where we are in our journey. There are going to be bumps on the road. Football is a soap opera and we just need to deal with it week to week."

On European hopes: "The plan is to get better. We need to keep pushing and keep striving."

'I felt good for a number of weeks'

FT: Brentford 3-0 Tottenham

Brentford

Brentford manager Keith Andrews speaking to Match of the Day: "Really pleased. Felt like there was a performance coming, you never really know after pre-season. The reality is the first game of the season comes and it can quickly come unstuck. I felt good for a number of weeks about how we were coming together. I was pretty pleased.

"Our fans were amazing today. There is a genuine connection here that helps. I thought we started the game brilliantly and they were fully engaged. We want to be relentless. We looked like a real team."

On Sangare's Premier League debut: "He's settled in really well. Again, it's pre-season so you don't want to get too excited, but the cohesion he brings to an already-talented midfield, we're really happy with him."

On if last season has spurred Brentford on this time around: "It's a different season, football's a soap opera, that's the reality. There are goodies, there are baddies. You need to live with that and whatever you're dealt, you deal with it. We are just in a good place."

'We wanted to show what we're made of'

FT: Brentford 3-0 Tottenham

Brentford

Brentford's Mamadou Sangare and Nathan Collins, speaking to Sky Sports.

Collins on tonight's performance: "That's what we wanted, we wanted to start sharp, we want to show people what we're made of and we did that today. We know last season we were one point off, this year, we've added quality people to the squad."

Collins on Sangare's performance: "He's alright, he started okay... we want more from him though! More goals, more tackles."

Collins on was today a sign of what a good pre-season looks like: "I think so, it's just the start for us, it's something to grow from. I think we can only get better from this, so let's hope it's a good season."

Sangare on today's match: "It's really good since my first day here, everybody has been really good with me. So it's good to start with a win, I hope we can continue like that."

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Brentford v Tottenham: Key stats and talking points

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After a traumatic season in which they narrowly avoided relegation, Tottenham look to start 2026-27 in better fashion against a Brentford side that are looking to build on an excellent campaign under Keith Andrews. BBC Sport takes a look at some of the key themes going into their opening-weekend encounter.

After back-to-back 17th place finishes, surely the only way is up for Tottenham, especially after the club loosened their purse strings in spectacular fashion this summer.

After the farce of missing out on top transfer targets Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze last summer, they've made no mistake this time round. Having signed Mateus Fernandes for a club record £85m, they smashed it again just days later with the eyebrow raising £100m acquisition of Sandro Tonali.

Throw in the arrival of Scotland skipper Andy Robertson, ball playing centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton and Marco Senesi, who played 20 minutes of the World Cup final for Argentina, and it's easy to see why optimism is high.

Attacking signings remain a work in progress but if the double swoop for Man City duo Omar Marmoush and Savinho can get over the line then the league woes of the last two campaigns will surely be confined to a distant but unpleasant memory.

The lowlights of a wretched campaign included going 15 matches and 118 days without a league victory, managing just three wins at home and having to avoid relegation to the second tier for the first time since 1977 on the final day of the season.

All of which is not good enough for what is the world's ninth-richest football club.

The arrival of boss Roberto de Zerbi has been galvanizing and he accounted for 30% of the club's league wins last season despite only being in charge for seven matches.

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Tottenham: Roberto De Zerbi on Spurs' spending

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De Zerbi on Spurs' spending. Video, 00:01:10De Zerbi on Spurs' spending

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Manchester City: Enzo Maresca provides update on Savinho transfer

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'Since day one he asked me to leave' - Maresca. Video, 00:00:44'Since day one he asked me to leave' - Maresca

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Roberto de Zerbi press conference: Brentford vs Tottenham preview

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Dominic Solanke, James Maddison, Destiny Udogie and Mateus Fernandes are all fit enough to be in the squad for Spurs. However, Micky van de Ven, Pedro Porro and Pape Matar Sarr will miss the game because of injury.

De Zerbi has named Van de Ven as his new captain for the 2026-27 campaign, and also listed Porro, Ben Davies, Maddison and Archie Gray as replacement skippers.

The Italian said it was "not right to speak about players until they are official" when asked about Tottenham's links to Manchester City's Savinho.

De Zerbi confirmed he and the board are "working very well" in the closing stages of the transfer window, during which six players have joined so far.

He explained: "We have spoken a lot of times in the summer. It is a connection. It is the connection between the people inside the club and I think we are closing out the first target we ever had in our plan."

De Zerbi said Spurs "can't forget what happened" last season and that it was a "big lesson" for his side. "We're building a new project. The first target is very clear: to find the soul of the team. The second target is to improve in our organisation with and without the ball. Our style has to be the key to our season."

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James Maddison: Tottenham boss Roberto de Zerbi let team bond over beers

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De Zerbi let us bond over a few beers - Maddison. Video, 00:01:57De Zerbi let us bond over a few beers - Maddison

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Tottenham news: What would Omar Marmoush give Spurs?

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Omar Marmoush is primarily a number nine, but he has rarely been confined to one role across the front line.

At Frankfurt, he was used predominantly through the middle but also appeared as a second striker and from the left. Manchester City have followed a similar pattern, using him mainly as a central attacker while also deploying him from the flank and just behind another forward.

That flexibility could suit Roberto de Zerbi. His teams have often relied on forwards changing positions, dropping towards the ball and then attacking the space created when opponents are drawn out. Marmoush is comfortable doing both.

Former Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha sees the Egyptian as most dangerous when he is able to threaten the space beyond the defence.

"As much as he is good dropping towards the ball, I think he is better when he plays on the shoulder," he said.

"He needs to be in a team that will constantly play balls in behind and force the opposition to run back towards their own goal. That's when you see a better version of Marmoush."

Opta's Premier League numbers from last season show he averaged 11.46 runs in behind per 90 minutes, almost identical to Dominic Solanke's 11.61 and ahead of Richarlison's 10.03. But he also offered considerably more with the ball.

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Tottenham: James Maddison says Roberto De Zerbi lets Spurs players have beers

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De Zerbi let us bond over a few beers - Maddison. Video, 00:00:46De Zerbi let us bond over a few beers - Maddison

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Tottenham news: Former Spurs forward Terry Dyson dies aged 91

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Tottenham's 1961 Double-winner Terry Dyson has died at the age of 91.

Spurs have paid tribute Dyson, who made 209 appearances and scored 55 goals for the club across a 10-year spell.

The forward was a key figure in Bill Nicholson's 1960-61 side who were the first English team in the 20th Century to achieve a First Division and FA Cup double.

One of his defining moments occurred two years later when he scored twice in a 5-1 victory over Atletico Madrid to secure European Cup Winners' Cup success.

"The club is extremely saddened to learn of the passing of our former player Terry Dyson at the age of 91," a Tottenham statement read.

"Our deepest condolences are with Terry's family and friends at this incredibly sad time."

Dyson remains the only Tottenham player to score a hat-trick against north London rivals Arsenal - at the start of the 1961-62 campaign.

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