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James Maddison of Tottenham Hotspur goal celebration with Son Heung-Min of Tottenham Hotspur. - Tottenham Hotspur v Fulham, Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, UK - 23rd October 2023.

10 key figures on James Maddison’s blinding Tottenham form: ‘Such a beautiful footballer’

Nestor Watach •

Tottenham’s James Maddison has been hailed as the signing of the summer and the most important player at any club in the Premier League. 

They’re big statements – but his performances for Ange Postecoglou’s table-topping side warrant them. The playmaker has been absolutely superb, having notched three goals and five assists for his new club, who have enjoyed their best-ever start to a Premier League campaign.

Here are 10 quotes on Maddison’s superb form.

Ange Postecoglou

“A £45million bargain! I don’t know what world you live in mate?” the Tottenham manager joked when asked about the signing back in August.

“But I know what you mean, relatively so. There wasn’t anyone happier than me when we got him. I was delighted.

“I wouldn’t say I’m surprised, but I’m overjoyed at the footballer I’ve got.

“The way he’s embraced the whole club, where he’s at in his life. He really wants to be the person. He’s that creative force for us. He works hard, he wins the ball back, presses. And I think there’s more to come.

“When he gets more understanding with our forward players and they get more understanding with him. He’s going to keep improving. If we got him in the bargain bin, that’s great.”

Son Heung-min

“I love him, he does everything,” the Spurs captain told TNT Sports.

“When we’re not having good build-ups he’s going back to help a little bit with the defence.

“He’s a fantastic player. Having this guy on our team is something special. He’s been amazing.”

Gary Lineker

 

Jamie O’Hara

“Honestly, it’s been a joy to watch [James] Maddison, it really has,” O’Hara told talkSPORT.

“I mean, what a summer signing. We’ve got him on the cheap really when you’re looking at some of the players that have been going for crazy money.

“We got him for what, £40m? He’s an unbelievable player, he’s completely changed the side.

“And what he’s done, he’s almost taken over Harry Kane’s role the way that he gets in pockets and gets on the half turn but he also can make things happen.

“He can get on the end of things and what it’s allowed, it’s allowed the front three to go and press and go and be high up the pitch.

“Harry Kane would drop deep but he would also have to then get in the box and be the guy that scores goals.

“Maddison the one that’s getting on it, making things happen and really, truthfully, we are a joy to watch.”

Jermaine Jenas

“I was having this discussion recently with an Arsenal fan around Odegaard and James Maddison,” Jenas told TNT Sports.

“The guy said ‘you would always take Odegaard over Maddison’ and I’m like – ‘why?’

“I’m not that convinced by it. Odegaard is a special talent, so is James Maddison.

“It’s more to do with how he [Maddison] has transformed a team on his own.

“That’s the biggest fear for Spurs, Maddison’s fitness and maintaining that all year, because you take him out of that team, it looks totally different.”

Aaron Lennon

“Yeah, at the minute he’s on absolute fire,” the former Tottenham winger told Sky.

“I was watching him and he completely dictated the game. He was working hard off the ball, I think the new manager has got that into him. He must be a joy to play with, as one of those front players with him behind you, if you make the run he’ll find you. He’s the man of the moment at the minute.”

Gareth Southgate

“He is in a really good vein of form,” the England manager told reporters during the most recent international break.

“A really good character around the group. He connects people well. We have got the more steady, serious guys & we have a lot of guys who bring a lot of sunshine.”

Jamie Carragher

“For me, he’s been probably the most influential player in the Premier League. I think he has been that influential,” said the former Liverpool defender, speaking on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football coverage of the 2-0 victory over Fulham.

“The credit has to go to the manager. It’s his philosophy, his way of playing, but he (Maddison) has been a major part of that.

“He is just that type of personality. Sometimes, taking a step up to a bigger club, that scrutiny is too much for players, they can’t actually handle it. It’s not their ability, it’s their mentality.

“He can. He has embraced going to a bigger club, doing interviews with us, being in the spotlight. He absolutely loves it.”

READ: F*ck me: Is James Maddison the best player in England right now?

Gary Neville

“I think so, biggest impact on a club,” the Sky Sports commentator responded when asked if Maddison has been the most important player in the Premier League this season.

“Just his enthusiasm. Look, we’ve done Friday night footballs for five-six years when he was at Leicester and he’s brilliant to have around. Great to come to interviews. They’ve just got to keep him fit, keep him buzzing and keep feeding him because he’s just so influential.”

James Maddison

“What I would say is you definitely get more praise and people notice more because you’re at a bigger football club,” the man himself told Men In Blazers.

“There’s performances I’ve played at Tottenham which have been spoken about as really, really good performances when actually I’ve come off thinking: ‘I was alright, I was ok and I could have been a lot better’.

“No disrespect but at a team like Leicester, a bit of a smaller club in terms of the Premier League and stature, you come off thinking you’ve played really well and had a really good game where it doesn’t get spoken about as much just because Tottenham’s a bigger team and we’re right at the top end of the Premier League.

“I feel like I’m arguably playing the best football I’ve played to be fair. I’m at an age now where I’m experienced and I’ve played a lot of football matches now coming through the lower leagues in my early career. So I’ve played a lot of football, I’ve seen a lot of stuff. I’m still only 26, got a long way to go, but I’d probably say I’m probably in the form of my career in terms of the levels I want to set.”

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