Maddison ready for international stage
James Maddison admits he has always “liked being on stage” and his display against Sheffield United, in front of Gareth Southgate, indicated that he is raring to be called up by England.
Maddison is one of a group of young, potential England players who played for Leicester at Bramall Lane – including Harvey Barnes and Hamza Choudhury – with all of them having appeared in this summer’s character-building European Under-21 Championship.
England’s first team Euro qualifiers against Bulgaria and Kosovo early next month could provide an opportunity for Southgate to recall Maddison, who has previously been in the squad without playing.
The 22-year-old midfielder showed, with a man-of-the-match performance in the 2-1 win at Sheffield United, why he is being talked about as a potential Manchester United signing. Asked if he would be disappointed not to be named in the England squad this week, his answer was “no comment”, but this is a young man who often comes across as brimming with confidence. The heavily tattooed left arm and carefully gelled hair are not his only eye-catching aspects, as he backs up his swagger with style on the pitch. That was evident even in his days at Norwich, whom he left last year to join Leicester. His pass for their first goal, scored by Jamie Vardy, was a moment of exceptional vision and skill, as he threaded the ball forward from the centre circle into the penalty area with the outside of his right boot.
Barnes later wrote his name into the Sunday headlines with his stunning winner. The power of the strike, and the technique to execute it, made it impressive – and there was a “wow” factor when witnessing the speed with which the ball went from his boot into the net. Asked if he had ever scored a better goal, Barnes replied: “Probably not, no – not even when I was a kid. I knew I had caught it so sweet and it would take an absolutely unbelievable save to keep it out.”
Maddison and Barnes were in the limelight for their roles in the goals, but Choudhury was an impressive presence behind them. Manager Brendan Rodgers valued the contribution, saying: “It was tough for him because getting sent off for your country [he was dismissed at the European Under-21 Championship] is never easy. But he’s an honest boy and he has responded to that. I like his ability to press the game and play an aggressive game. He is one of the best in terms of getting up to the ball and winning it back. We are just trying to help him understand the game.”
Rodgers built his managerial career after earning a reputation as a fine developer of young talent, notably at Chelsea’s academy. If he redeploys those skills effectively at Leicester, Southgate could have reason to thank him in the future – perhaps, even, imminently.