Southgate is rolling dice with Maddison
SAYS OUR CHIEF SPORTS WRITER JEREMY CROSS
THE IRONY appeared lost on Gareth Southgate while the shock of his decision sank in.
How Southgate had taken a gamble on someone who appeared to have wrecked his international career with an ill-advised trip to a casino.
To those wondering who this bloke James Maddison is that’s gatecrashed Southgate’s England World Cup squad, he’s an attacking midfielder for Leicester who hasn’t even made his full international debut yet and loves a game of cards.
Southgate had his poker face on at St George’s Park yesterday when it emerged he had finally forgiven Maddison’s previous misdemeanours off the field – and decided his form on it was now worthy of the ultimate recognition.
Few had a clue what hand Southgate had been about to play.
Even fewer believed him when he insisted he had no problem with Maddison’s attitude or behaviour, but that he’d ignored him because there had been better players ahead of him.
And how could they, considering he had been frozen out in brutal fashion since visiting a casino in Leicester back in 2019, having told the FA he’d been too ill to feature in a Euro 2020 qualifier against Czech Republic.
At the time, he had won just one cap, as a substitute against Montenegro. The sum total of his time in a Three Lions shirt is 34 minutes – and England had been 5-0 up at the time of his introduction.
Maddison rolled the dice, but his number was up as far as Southgate was concerned.
Now he’s back in the big time and will be on the plane to Qatar with the cream of English football.
But his selection remains strange. And to put his recall into perspective, since he last found himself in favour with Southgate, England has had three Prime Ministers and even Liverpool have won a Premier League title.
There is no questioning his ability at club level, but Maddison is still unproven on the greatest stage of all, just like his temperament and patience are when it comes to being a tourist within the disciplined confines of a World Cup squad.
Southgate will believe it is a risk worth taking, however, when he’s able to take 26 stars to the Middle East.
The England boss, who didn’t feel the need to consult with Maddison’s club boss Brendan Rodgers, said: “He is a good player.
“He has earned the right. We think he can give something slightly different to the other attacking players we have.
“He is playing as well as any of the attacking players in this country and he is a bit different to the others.
“He’s a football student and there have been some misconceptions about him. I’ve got no concerns about how he will be.”