James Maddison has spoken candidly on experiencing “dark moments” as he recovered from a knee injury during the World Cup.
Leicester midfielder Maddison earned his second England cap against Ukraine on Sunday, three years and four months after his first.
He travelled to Qatar in the winter as part of England’s World Cup group but was not in the matchday squad for their first two games due to a knee injury he sustained in Leicester’s final fixture before the Premier League season paused.
Following the 2-0 win over Ukraine, Maddison recalled: “There was a lot of sad faces when I was in my room in Qatar by myself, thinking: ‘Why? Why now, this little injury, when I’ve worked so hard to get to the World Cup with everyone clamouring for me to be in the squad?’
“There were tough times in my room in Qatar, FaceTiming home. It was almost like a battle with myself to say: ‘Don’t take this for granted. I might not be able to shake this injury off, but it will leave me in good stead if I show Gareth [Southgate] and the people who have questioned my personality that that’s all rubbish.’
“I get on so well with the lads and the staff. What you see from the outside is exactly how it is. I hoped stuff like that would leave me in good stead, and it probably has.”
Reflecting on his second cap and first start for England, Maddison said: “It felt great. It almost felt like a second debut. I know that doesn’t really work, but it feels a lifetime ago since that Montenegro game [in November 2019]. It felt brilliant. It’s refreshing to be out there with the lads in a strong team and a big game. I really enjoyed it.
“I love football — I always say it. I’ve worked hard, waited a long time for that opportunity. It feels like I’ve just been waiting so long to get the manager’s trust, and hopefully I repaid it with my performance.
“People might [have looked] at the lineup and seen that Maddison’s on the left wing. How’s that going to work? But it’s actually a really nice position for a player like me, especially when you have Ben Chilwell at left-back, who’s such a good runner and such a threat.
“Gareth said to me, ‘Play with freedom, you have the licence to play in the pockets just as you do for Leicester’. It just gave me that freedom. I didn’t feel restricted. I’ll watch the game back and I’ll probably nit-pick. I probably should have scored to be honest, but I’ll try and enjoy the moment.”
Maddison has scored nine league goals and registered six assists in an impressive individual campaign so far, yet Leicester find themselves above the relegation zone by just one place and one point. Maddison knows his attention must now quickly shift from international to club duties.
“Leicester head back on now, though — it’s too much of an important run-in,” he said, when asked about his England ambitions in the longer-term. “And then some good international games [against Malta and North Macedonia] to look forward to in the summer.”
