HE’LL SHOW NOR MERCY
Rodgers says Maddison will be ruthless tonight
JAMES MADDISON will always be grateful to Norwich, but is ready to push the struggling Canaries nearer the drop.
Norwich paid
Maddison from
Coventry in 2016.
That investment paid off handsomely two years later when the cash-strapped Norfolk club banked £22m from Leicester for the talented forward.
Maddison, 23, (above) has since broken into the England squad and been offered a huge new deal by Leicester.
And Foxes boss Brendan Rodgers is confident the player will show Norwich no mercy tonight as their third-placed side aim for Champions League football next term.
Maddison sat among the Norwich fans at
Derby last season in the Canaries’ titlewinning Championship campaign.
But ahead of his first return to Carrow Road, Rodgers (right) said: “In football you can’t really have sentiment. He will always be thankful for what Norwich gave him.
“When I have spoken to him on £3million for League One it, he will always be grateful for the opportunity he got there because he was a young player out of League One.
“I also know his sale allowed Norwich the opportunity to bring in finance to stabilise the club, so it probably worked well for both.
“Everyone I know who has ever played for Norwich has had a great affinity with them and the area. They gave him a great platform and he has come here. “But he now knows he is employed by Leicester City. The money is in his bank every month and he will want to do the very best for Leicester City.”
Maddison has six goals and three assists in the Premier League for City this season, sparking interest from a number of clubs, including Manchester United.
But Rodgers is confident Maddison will extend his stay, with talks now at an advanced stage. He added: “I am hopeful it will be done. There is on-going talks.
“The boy is very happy, he wants to be here and he sees this as the club he can develop at.”
Maddison is one of several talented young stars blossoming under Rodgers’ coaching and manmanagement.
His progress earned him a first England cap last November and he is on course to get more international action in next month’s friendlies against Italy and Denmark.
The star was pictured partying in Dubai in the winter break, but Rodgers insisted: “He loves football, he genuinely does.
“He loves the game and practising and talking about football. On Wednesday he was out doing extra finishing practice.
“He is on a great learning curve and is a boy who wants to get to the very highest level. He’s made a rapid rise from League One to the Premier League and is constantly developing.”
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