Brendan Rodgers believes James Maddison's "consistency and talent" are what swung Gareth Southgate's decision to call the Leicester midfielder up to his England World Cup squad.
Maddison, 25, has not featured for the Three Lions since his solitary cap three years ago in a 7-0 Euro 2020 qualifying win over Montenegro. His only other call-up to an England squad ended with his withdrawal due to illness, before he was later seen visiting a casino - an incident which did not reflect well on him with Southgate.
But his latest form for Leicester has not gone unnoticed, with Southgate admitting when announcing his squad that the decision to include Maddison was made "weeks ago". Maddison was not informed of his call-up until the morning of the announcement, after he had already spoken to Rodgers, and was preparing for the worst.
