James Maddison: “That feeling of being a Spurs player now is something I’m very excited about”
Thu 29 June 2023, 17:45|
Tottenham Hotspur
James Maddison and Tottenham Hotspur. It just feels right, as acknowledged by our new signing as he tried on our famous white shirt for the first time following his arrival from Leicester City on Wednesday.
“I can see that as well, I can visualise that,” said the England midfielder, who has signed a deal until 2028. “I’m absolutely thrilled. That feeling of being a Spurs player now is something I’m very excited about.
“It feels really good, even putting on the white shirt, the iconic Tottenham shirt, having a look in the mirror... it feels really good. Myself, my agent, my family are all really happy with my decision. As I keep saying, I can’t wait to get going.”
‘Madders’ senses a feeling of excitement about the Club as we begin a new era under Ange Postecoglou. “I feel a hunger about the place,” he said. “You come here, and you get a feel for the club and the people, everything about it, and it feels brilliant. Like I said, I’m very happy and can’t wait to get going.
“I spoke to the manager, spoke to Daniel and they both spoke very highly of everything about the club. Speaking to the manager was very important, how he’s going to be, with that little bit of the unknown, so to have a decent chat with him and to get his thoughts on things, how he sees Spurs going this season... he said one thing to me on the call, I hope he won’t mind me saying this, but he said, ‘whether you come or not, you’re going to see a completely different Spurs team under me’, and that kind of stuck with me that he said that.
“Things like that are so important, building a good relationship with him, with Daniel, speaking to other players, obviously, I know a lot of them anyway, and playing against them for so many years, I feel like I have such a good understanding with Tottenham Hotspur Football Club and now I’m part of it, and I have this lovely white shirt on, I’m ready to go.”
Born and raised in Coventry, James, now 26, has worked his way up the ladder, initially playing for his home-town team in League One and, via loans at Aberdeen and back to Coventry, starring for Norwich City in the Championship. That led to a move to Leicester in 2018 and he’s gone from strength to strength, won the FA Cup, earned England caps and a place in the World Cup squad and is now seen as one of the best attacking midfielders in the Premier League.
So, what next? “I’m hungry for more,” he said. “Bigger and better. That’s how I’ve always been and that’s why I said about five times earlier that I can’t wait to get going. That’s the hunger I have, getting started, being a success... I’m hungry to show Tottenham Hotspur fans something they see twice a season - James Maddison playing. I can’t wait to show them the best version of myself. It’s not always going to be easy, it will be tough, like any other thing, but I’m hungry and that’s the best way to describe it.”
