'That will sit nicely on the mantelpiece' - Maddison on Premier League honour
Fri 15 September 2023, 12:45|
Tottenham Hotspur
James Maddison admits he would have 'bitten your hand off' if you had offered him the kind of start he has enjoyed in north London.
A summer signing from Leicester City, James has slotted straight into life in Lilywhite since his arrival in July, having an impact both on and off the pitch.
Being appointed as one of two vice captains alongside Cristian Romero by Ange Postecoglou ahead of our season opener at Brentford, the creative midfielder then produced both assist for our goals in a 2-2 draw at the Gtech before he grabbed his first goal in our colours away at Bournemouth two weeks later as we ran our 2-0 winners on the south coast.
And those performances have now been recognised by the Premier League as, after four previous nominations without reward, he has been named the top flight's Player of Month for August.
This is the first time I’ve actually won it, so it’s a nice feeling to get the recognition of a good start
"It feels good, really good," Madders beamed after being presented with the award. "I’ve been nominated for the award a few times over my Premier League career so far, but this is the first time I’ve actually won it, so it’s a nice feeling to get the recognition of a good start and I’ll give all the credit back to my team-mates because they’ve given me the platform, plus the manager and the club, to be able to go and perform.
"It's a brilliant achievement, so many big names, so many elite players of the past, and currently, have won this award, so it’s nice to be in that company. It’s not always easy as a new player at a new club in your first month in the Premier League, so, if you’d offered me at the start of the month, I’d have bitten your hand off.
"I was hoping to make an impact, yes. I always back myself and know the ability and self-belief I have to be able come in and do that. I hoped it would go that way. It doesn’t always work out like that. That was the aim though, to come in and have a big impact straight away. Any new signing will tell you that you want to hit the ground running, you want to show the fans what you’re about straight away. Sometimes, it takes time, that’s why with new signings you do have to be a bit patient, but sometimes you get ones who do hit the ground running and thankfully, I’ve been one of them.
"Like I said, the team give me the platform to go out there and perform, so a big thanks to them and it’s an award that will sit nicely on the mantelpiece."
Despite his clear delight in finally getting his hands on the award after his fine start, James was quick to remark that he is not going to let his focus loosen.
For him, this is just the start for him and the team, and he is hoping there is much more to come - starting this Saturday with the visit of Sheffield United (3pm kick-off UK).
"Now it’s about keeping those standards up and maintaining those levels," he asserted. "We don’t want to get too far ahead of ourselves. The gaffer doesn’t let that happen, anyway. We stay grounded, game by game.
"I saw he was asked about the Arsenal game in a couple of weeks, but he said, ‘no, we’ve got Sheffield United first’ and that’s the mentality, that’s the mindset. It’s a big game on Saturday and we want to keep this momentum going. Momentum is such a big thing in football, and if we can keep that with you and the spirit levels around the team, in the Club, the staff, the fans, it creates a good atmosphere."
