Maddison’s England career Russian roulette

WHEN James Maddison arrived on the scene at Norwich, I heard from a few people what a great young talent he was.

I also heard he was very, very confident and the sort of whom it could be said that, ‘If he was chocolate, he’d eat himself ’.

I don’t mind that, actually, because the best players need to have an unshakeable inner-belief if they are to become the very best.

But it’s all about channelling that inner-belief on the field and, off it, making sure you don’t give critics a reason to have a go at you.

It’s about making sure ‘confident lad’ doesn’t bleed into ‘Jack the Lad’, because that is when the problems can start.

While the fans might love it, coaches and managers don’t, and I would hate to see Maddison become a player whose commitment and attitude was questioned. His decision to go out to a casino on Friday night, having been stood down from international duty through illness, wasn’t the biggest crime and there was no suggestion that he was steaming drunk.

But you have to know the right time to do things when you are in the spotlight.

You must learn that if you do want to socialise, particularly in such circumstances, your best bet is to do it at home with family or friends.

Maddison reminds me a bit of Liverpool’s old

Spice Boys, a group I was referred to alongside, but never actually tagged in.

Jamie Redknapp (below, with Robbie Fowler and Steve Mcmanaman), Jason Mcateer, Phil Babb and David James were all very talented players, but if ever they had an off-day then the Spice Boys narrative would be dragged up.

Managers would much rather have players of the Michael Owen and Alan Shearer ilk, who would say, ‘I’m going to go home after a game and sip a cup of tea’.

And if you get a reputation as a party boy then that can make it hard for managers to trust you.

Maddison is lucky that in Brendan Rodgers at Leicester City and Gareth Southgate with England, he has two managers who are good at dealing with young lads.

I’m sure they will have a conversation between themselves about how best to make things work for him. I know in the days I was at Leicester that the manager Martin O’neill would have asked for a word in his office and told you in no uncertain terms you’d be gone if you stepped out of line again.

But I’d imagine Rodgers and Southgate will put an arm round Maddison and guide him in the right direction.

That direction should see him cutting out the chat to such as Jeremy Clarkson on Twitter and making sure he is just known for his football, because if he doesn’t do that then such as Mason Mount and Jack Grealish will pass him in the pecking order in double quick time.

Grealish is actually a very good example of someone who curbed his ways – he is now the captain of Aston Villa and someone who does and says all the right things.

He has learned to play the game on and off the pitch, and that is exactly what Maddison must do.

Maddison is in the spotlight now and must listen to Gareth Southgate TOOK A GAMBLE