THE DYNAMIC DUOS!
VARDY & MADDISON OUT TO SHOW THEY’RE AS DEADLY AS KANE & SON
WHEN James Maddison signed for Leicester two years ago, the chance to forge a partnership with Jamie Vardy was the main attraction. When he is not playing football, Maddison is usually watching it. He had studied Vardy’s performances and was convinced the pair could strike up a prolific relationship. He was right — Maddison and Vardy are arguably as important to their team as Harry Kane and Son Heung-min are to Spurs. Whichever duo has the better of tomorrow’s encounter may decide who takes the points. Tottenham start favourites, but Leicester’s formidable away record in the league — five wins from six — means Brendan Rodgers’ men should not be taken lightly. ‘In my first season, the understanding with Jamie Vardy was there straight away,’ Maddison told Sportsmail. ‘I played as a No 10 for most of that year, we were always close to each other on the pitch and we linked up very well in training. ‘When I signed for Leicester, I remember saying to my friends and family that I thought we could get a really good connection on the pitch. I was confident I could set up a few goals for him, and hopefully vice-versa. ‘He knows the little pockets of space I take up, the movements I make and what I’m looking to do with my first touch. ‘When you play with someone so regularly, this is what happens. Before I receive the ball, when I look up and see him, I know what run he is going to make. He is so quick and I know where he wants the ball to be played. ‘For example, when we won at AEK Athens in the Europa League, I got the ball and I knew he was going to make a diagonal run from right to left. That was just a straight pass for me and we won a penalty.’ The numbers this season show how effective they can be. Vardy has 12 goals and four assists in all competitions, Maddison five and three, though Maddison’s tally has come from only 10 starts as he returns from hip surgery. Vardy has been deadly on the road. Only two of his 10 league goals have been at the King Power Stadium. The 33-year-old needs one more to move past Ian Wright and Romelu Lukaku on the Premier League’s all-time list. Steven Gerrard, seven ahead of Vardy with 120, will be next in his sights. But it is no one-way street. Maddison’s second goal in the 3-0 win over Brighton, a curling strike into the top corner, was one of the best at the King Power this season, but it would not have been possible without Vardy’s clever run and lay-off. ‘I don’t give the “world-class” shout too much because it can be over-used, but he is a worldclass striker,’ Maddison added. ‘He is a pleasure to play with. When you score as many goals as he does, you will get into any team.’