James Maddison says Tottenham are the ‘perfect fit’ for him as Ange Postecoglou encourages his inventive facet with £45m star hungry for brand new season after ‘devastating’ relegation with Leicester

James Maddison takes a second to refill a glass of water, leaving the query of the psychological influence of relegation with Leicester City hanging within the air final season.

So far, Maddison had had a twinkle in his eye as he mentioned the beginning of a brand new chapter with Tottenham and the thrill of working beneath Ange Postecoglou following his £45 million transfer.

But now that Maddison, who’s a self-proclaimed emotional character on this East End pub, wants a second to gather his phrases to actually encapsulate the ache of degradation.

“I was completely devastated,” he mentioned. ‘You get to the purpose the place you notice that demotion means folks lose jobs; leaving the Premier League to go to the Championship, clearly the membership is dropping some huge cash and individuals are dropping jobs, fewer individuals are engaged on the coaching pitch, issues like that.

“And when you think about it that way, and of course it depends on the players on the field, it could be a bull’s eye. That’s the type of person I am, quite an emotional person, and it hit me and it was hard.

“But you have to dust yourself off and look ahead and when opportunities like this come along, you can’t say no to them.

“So onwards and upwards, blinders on, the hunger is back and the motivation to go and do well and prove to everyone why I signed for the club.”

Maddison is now 26, now not the rising star Tottenham eyed when he performed at Coventry City and Norwich. He arrives in North London to grow to be the principle inventive midfielder.

Nine assists within the Premier League final season had been higher than anybody else within the Tottenham Hotspur squad – Ivan Perisic was Spurs’ high help scorer with eight assists – and it’s as much as Maddison to ship immediately, beginning at Brentford on Sunday.

“I have always had strong self-confidence and I will always stand behind myself and my own ability to succeed,” he mentioned. “It hasn’t let me down so far, so I’ll keep that mindset and attitude.”

Maddison is informed he seems to be and looks like a Tottenham Hotspur participant: a footballer in that acquainted attacking midfielder position that Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli have each excelled at at Tottenham Hotspur in recent times.

Eriksen’s point out earns a wry smile from Maddison, as right here’s a participant he studied carefully in his teenagers and youth workforce years.

At his peak at Tottenham, Eriksen was considered considered one of Europe’s only inventive midfielders. For Maddison, it was one of many sources of inspiration he would draw from to pave his personal solution to the highest.

Christian was an excellent participant. I used to look at Christian after I was a bit bit youthful as he labored his means by way of the sport and he was on the high of his recreation within the Premier League,” Maddison mentioned, talking on the start-of-season occasion of TNT Sports in London. .

“As my career was developing and he was still playing at Tottenham, playing against him, swapping shirts with him, telling him what I thought of him as a player, and that he was such a nice guy in response to that, he was definitely someone who I looked at. up, especially when I was in that teenage phase and saw players in my position at the top of their game. He was someone I looked up to, yes.’

Newcastle have made no secret of their desire to sign Maddison this summer and with Eddie Howe’s side offering Champions League football – something Tottenham doesn’t need to offer – many have been scratching their heads.

But Maddison believes in fate and the vision of ending up at Spurs has been etched in his memory for years. “I certainly do to be honest,” he says, when requested if he thinks he’s a “perfect” match for Tottenham as a membership.

“When I talked to my agent in the summer about moving clubs and you get to a place where you have to make decisions and where you want to go and what you think is the best fit, I could see myself playing for Spurs.

“There’s a small chance for me at Tottenham Hotspur, a creative player they’ve always had, but maybe not in recent years.

“I definitely saw myself, when I made the decision, playing for Tottenham in that kit, in that stadium and being the creative player I know I can be.”

However, Postecoglou will need – and wish – extra from Maddison, as he has scored simply as soon as in his final 14 league appearances for Leicester as they had been caught sleepwalking to the Championship.

So, along with his twenty seventh birthday in November, are his best days but to return?

“No, I peaked two years ago!” says Maddison and instantly bursts into laughter.

“We’ve played a few pre-season games so far and it’s all about learning. Not just for me, but for all players, just learning how (Postecoglou) wants each role to play.

“There’s that more advanced midfield role, a No. 8 if you want to call it that, and to play between the lines and do what’s brought me to this position now.

“The way I play will not change, that’s who I am, that’s my nature, that’s who I am as a footballer and obviously he and the club like that, that’s why they brought me in.

“So (the goal is) to be that scoring, creative midfielder and that’s not an easy task, so I keep working and hopefully I can be successful.”

Destination? Maybe. But solely time will inform if Tottenham lastly have the Christian Eriksen successor they’ve been on the lookout for for years.

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