Maddison credits northern exposure for call-up

SAMI MOKBEL

ALMOST two years ago to the day, James Maddison was turning out for Aberdeen in a Betfred Cup semi-final against Morton. Granted, it wasn’t the most memorable of matches; he played 85 minutes in a 2-0 win. It’s an experience, however, the Leicester midfielder won’t forget in a hurry. And one, he believes, that has put him on the verge of his England debut in the forthcoming Nations League ties against Croatia and Spain. ‘It toughens you up (playing in Scotland). I took a lot of kicks, a lot of knocks, had a few little scraps with big Scottish guys on the pitch,’ said Maddison, who moved to Pittodrie on loan from Norwich in 2016. ‘I was not getting a sniff at Norwich, so I went to see Alex Neil, the manager at the time, and asked if I could go on loan — Aberdeen was the best option at the time. ‘I was only there four months but I look back at that and it was a big learning curve for me in that short spell. ‘I went there with an open mind to show everyone in Scotland what I was about. I am very glad with the decision I made.’ No wonder. He returned to Norwich and was named their Player of the Season in the next campaign. Bigger things were just round the corner, however. Just eight games into his Premier League career following a £22million summer move to Leicester from the Canaries, Maddison is in the England squad. Now the 21-year-old is on the brink of the biggest step in his career. ‘I’ve worked hard this season and I’m grateful to get the call-up,’ said Maddison. ‘I can only try to show everyone why I deserve to be here. I will try to showcase what I have to offer. ‘If it was up to me, I’d never go back to the Under-21s because this is where every young boy dreams of being.’