INJURY DROVE ME MADD
Leicester and England star Maddison determined to make the most of the rest of this season after missing out on three months
JAMES MADDISON is determined to finish the season on a high after shaking off a knee injury and returning to his favoured No.10 role.
Maddison suffered World Cup disappointment with England, where he failed to play a single minute after arriving in Qatar with the knee issue.
He then had to sit out the Foxes’ first seven games back after the winter break.
But after scoring in his first Premier League start in nearly three months in Leicester’s 4-2 win at Aston Villa, Maddison believes he is finally getting back to his best.
“I hadn’t played a game for a long time and was struggling a little bit with my knee,” said Maddison, 26, who returned to the Foxes starting line up at Walsall in the FA Cup. “It’s been a bit of a frustrating time, really, my injury, because I’ve not had a big problem. It’s been a small problem that’s been a bit of a niggly, irritating one, which is even more strange. But that’s two good 60 minutes in the legs.
“That’ll be really good for my fitness and just training more and getting back into it. Luckily, I’m straight back on the scoresheet and haven’t lost that knack, so hopefully we can continue that.”
Maddison got the nod at Villa to play in his preferred No.10 role, with Brazilian loanee Tete wide right and Harvey Barnes on the left. He added: “I’ve been playing off the right a little bit, and I’ve played well but I’m best centrally.”
Maddison’s return and the January signings of Tete, Harry Souttar and Victor Kristiansen have stopped Leicester’s rot.
They also have an FA Cup fifth round tie at home to Championship Blackburn later this month.
Maddison, who has eight goals and four assists in the Premier League this term, added: “That’s why you need to make signings because it gives everyone a lift.
“You have new players coming in training and you want to impress and they want to impress.
“It’s exactly what you need when we’re not in the best position in the league and we should be doing better.
“But we’re still in the FA Cup.
“And if we can kick on and have a good second half of the season, it should be a really positive end.”