Russell is just Mad about Dons’ James

JAMES MADDISON has been tipped to light up Saturday’s Betfred Cup semi-final between Aberdeen and Morton.

Norwich City club-mate Russell Martin regularly faced the Dons star in training before he moved north on loan in the summer.

And, as he explained, he is convinced he can leave a lasting contribution to the Pittodrie club’s history before returning to the Canaries and a successful career south of the border.

“I know for a fact James is relishing being with Aberdeen and they should enjoy him while they have got him because he is a fantastic footballer,” he said.

“I told him when he first went up that it was a real chance for him to show what he is all about. I am delighted to see he is doing exactly that.

“At Norwich he had guys like Wes Hoolihan, Steven Naismith and Alex Pritchard in front of him in the queue. But at Pittodrie, he became a big player for the team straight away.

“That’s been good for him and he showed he could handle the responsibility with his freekick winner against Rangers a few weeks back. The quality of his strike was tremendous and I know it was no fluke because I used to watch him practise them after training every day.

“So I think this semifinal should be tailor-made for him, the perfect chance to help get Aberdeen to a showpiece final while pushing his case for a more prominent role when he comes back to us.”

Norwich City paid Coventry £3 million for Maddison at the end of the last winter transfer window. Yet for Martin it was an investment in a development project.

The player they sent north, he says, is not the finished article.

“James is not physically the biggest, you look at his frame and there is nothing of him. He is tiny, so it was important he learns to protect himself a little bit,” said Martin.

“And he is doing that. I spoke to one of our coaches who went to watch him against Kilmarnock. He told me he got kicked all over the pitch but he dealt with it really well.

“That is him all over. He is a grounded lad who works extremely hard on his game.

“I stay in touch with a lot of the young lads who are out on loan. But James is a really good one because of his work ethic and the way he listens to you when you talk.

“He accepts when you talk to him about areas of the game he needs to get better, like the defensive side of the game. He is working on that.

“And, of course, he has great quality from an attacking perspective. His first touch is probably his biggest quality and, for his age, he is really, really good at finding space.

“If he carries on the way he is going, he will become a top footballer.

“We are pleased about that because he will be further down the road when he comes back to us – and, with a bit of luck, with a newly-won Scottish League Cup winner’s medal in his collection.”