Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
IT FELT MADD GETTING THE CUP CALL-UP
James’ dad cried on hearing the news... now the Leicester ace is eyeing a moment of magic to spark more tears of joy
FOR a player not exactly lacking in self-belief there was never any question of James Maddison giving up.
He had looked at booking a family holiday, was braced for the worst and yet still kept Gareth Southgate’s number on his phone just in case the World Cup call came.
Leicester midfielder Maddison revealed his dad – also called James – broke down in tears of joy when he told him the news he had been dreaming of since he was a boy.
“I was in Brendan Rodgers’ office, having a chat with him about stuff, about the day and he asked me if I had heard anything and I hadn’t at that point,” said Maddison.
“I went back down to the changing room afterwards and had a missed call from Gareth Southgate, so the heart starts beating.
“I had his number saved so I went up and called him back. He gave me the good news and it all became a bit of a blur.
“My dad actually cried – and he’s not a crier! I don’t think I have seen him cry for years!
“They were happy tears, of course.
“I had dinner at home with my mum and dad, my little boy and my partner (with
Maddsion, below). I wanted to see them. That’s a moment I will cherish forever.”
There is always one player at every finals who becomes the English people’s choice.
At the Euros it was Jack Grealish. It was Harry Maguire at the last World Cup (yes, really!) and Marcus Rashford at Euro 2016.
This time it is undoubtedly Maddison. The clamour for his call-up was ultimately irresistible because he has been in such great form.
he Coventry-born star, 25, has only one cap to his name and 34 minutes as a sub under his belt.
And there were still doubts because he had not been involved for three years and was pictured in a casino after crying off from
England duty. Maddison added: “I thought that might get brought up and I’m actually glad you asked.
“People forget I was actually capped by Gareth Southgate and called up after the casino incident and it wasn’t a big deal at the time for Gareth.”
You can tell Maddison is full of confidence. He talks exactly how he plays, with a swagger and a style. He is the epitome of the No.10 playmaker and does not shy away from questions about his attitude and what some might call arrogance. He said: “Like you said, I’ve only had 30 minutes of international football. But like I also said, I’m a player who has a lot of self-belief.
“If called upon, I believe I’m a player who can make something happen. And I’ll continue with that confidence because all the top players – and we’re around the top players – have that sense of confidence that borders on arrogance.
“But there’s a line, and you hear a lot of explayers talking about it. But you’ve got to have that confidence and I wouldn’t be here without that.
“So if called upon, I will do my best to produce that moment of magic and have that self-belief that I do belong at this stage.”
Maddison laughed when reminded about a tweet from 10 years ago when an IT teacher warned him he stood only “one-in-a-million” chance of making it as a footballer.
But he dreams of a piece of David Beckham-style magic from 2001 and becoming the star of this World Cup.
“The Beckham goal against Greece,” added Maddison. “They are the moments you dream of. Big moments in tournaments are the ones that get replayed for years and years, so to get one would be absolutely unbelievable.
“I just love the game. In my head I’m still that little boy kicking the ball around in the garden or with England face paint on.”