This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…
James Maddison is reportedly wanted by both Liverpool and Manchester United who are keen to secure the services of Leicester’s rising star and one of the Premier League’s most consistent performers.
He has been regularly linked with a move to Old Trafford in recent months and his stock rose even higher when named in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for October’s Euro qualifiers.
However, illness forced him to withdraw from the party, leaving the 22-year-old still without a full senior England cap to his name.
If anyone deserves a chance to wear the famous white shirt it is surely Maddison who must be frustrated he was unable to show off his skills in matches against the Czech Republic and Bulgaria.
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It is an exasperation likely shared by many England supporters because the attacking midfielder offers something different to what they currently possess.
He is neither a number ‘10’ in the traditional sense (which is fortunate for Maddison as Southgate’s favoured 4-3-3 formation is not set up to house one) or a number ‘8’ if such a role is viewed as a member of the midfield unit tasked with opening up defences and supporting attackers when the opportunity presents itself.
Rather, he falls in between each definition: a floating threat constantly seeking out spaces between the lines, with Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers giving him the licence to cut inside at will.
There is a reason Rodgers recently compared his young star to Philippe Coutinho and it’s not simply because of similar attributes with the ball at their feet.
It’s because Rodgers is using him in much the same way as he did the Brazilian when manager of Liverpool for three years between 2012 and 2015.
“He’s the type of player who will drift from position to position,” Rodgers went on to say, making it sound almost incidental.
It’s not, as Maddison confirmed soon after: “The manager and I have spoken about that role he played in his team, and how sometimes he used Coutinho as a No 8 and other times off the left in different games. He had the skill set to do well in those roles and now he’s getting me to play there.”
It should not be under-estimated how important such a player is in such a role – an English Coutinho if you will – playing for the national side.
It could just be what England require, while fully acknowledging how potent Southgate’s Three Lions have been offensively with 9 goals scored in their last two fixtures alone.
In major tournaments these impactful free spirits are so often the men who make the biggest difference. They are often the cherry on the icing on the cake.
Check out the real life version of FIFA 20’s Volta Football in the video below…
Since the start of last season Maddison has created 111 chances in the top flight, more than anybody else in the Premier League, and against Tottenham last month we saw his immense value to Leicester as he carved out a goal from nothing.
Former Southampton star Matthew Le Tissier, who was one of football’s most creative players two decades or so ago, said of him: “I like Maddison’s versatility – he can play in two or three different positions equally well and he finds pockets of space between the lines.”
Sadly, the sublimely gifted Le Tissier was never given the opportunities at national level his talents probably deserved.
We’ve moved on from those times surely? Let’s not make the same mistake again.
