Club form does not always translate to international level, but if Gareth Southgate was picking his England XI on domestic performances alone, James Maddison would be one of the first names on his team sheet.
Maddison has arguably been the standout player in the Premier League this season and, speaking ahead of Friday’s friendly against his native Australia, Tottenham coach Ange Postecoglou has said there is “no doubt” the playmaker can be as influential for country as club.
The big question is where Maddison fits into an England side packed with attacking quality and which is more conservative than Postecoglou’s Spurs.
Southgate has used Maddison from the left of the front three, including in his first competitive England start in last month’s draw with Ukraine, but Postecoglou trusts the 26-year-old to be the heartbeat of his table-topping side as a No8-No10 hybrid.
“Can I do [the same] for England? Of course,” Maddison told Standard Sport ahead of the Socceroos’ visit to Wembley.
“I think I’m best centrally, but Gareth gives me the freedom to be central when I play off the left anyway, so it’s not like I’m out on the touchline, like Marcus [Rashford] or Jack [Grealish] would do. That’s more their strengths.
“I’m more of a player on the inside, like Phil Foden, who’s better in the pockets.
“Whenever Gareth has played me off the left, the message has always been to find the space on the inside. And that’s been fine.
“I think under Ange I’ve been good out of possession. It’s one thing I’m always conscious of. I never want to be that guy doesn’t work hard, because there’s no room for that guy any more. So I always make sure I’m working as hard as I can. And then bringing the qualities to the team I know I possess: the creative side, which is why Tottenham bought me.
“But listen, I absolutely love playing for England, coming away on these camps and representing my country, so I’ll play wherever I can get the minutes.”
Southgate agrees that Maddison is most effective in central areas and “ultimately as a 10”, but is confident he is smart enough to adapt if played from the left of England’s front three.
“If we play him wide it is really his defending start position but with a view to him drifting inside,” the England boss said. “We’re very conscious of it.
“If we play with an outright 10, it suits him even better, so he is adaptable... he
is an intelligent footballer. I think the most impressive thing is that he is always affecting matches with great chances, scoring goals, creating assists.”
Maddison enjoys himself on — and occasionally off – the pitch, and it took him while to recover from suggestions that a casino visit in October 2019, shortly after he had pulled out of an England squad through illness, had damaged his international chances and standing with Southgate.
Far from it. The England manager believes he is glue in the camp and brings positivity and a much-needed balance with England’s sterner characters.
“He is a really good character around the group,” Southgate said. “He connects people well. We have a nice balance of personalities in the group. We have got the more steady, serious guys and we have a lot of guys who bring a lot of sunshine and light to things, and that balance of characters I really like.”
For Friday’s game and next week’s European Championship qualifier at home against Italy, Maddison faces competition for minutes in the front three with Rashford, Grealish, Foden and Jarrod Bowen, although playing in a midfield role would have the added complication of pitting him up against the prodigal Jude Bellingham.
Maddison, though, is not the type to shy away from a challenge and says he is only getting better under Postecoglou.
“I’m always looking to improve, you’re never too good to not be able to improve, especially when you work with a new manager,” he said. “He’s always going to have new messages and stuff that he knows you can work on.
“I’m open to that and I love when a manager challenges me to do different stuff to what I’ve done previously.”
He also believes that playing for a side who look set to compete at the top end of the table this season can only help his England prospects.
“Being at the top end of the table definitely helps, because you’re in the biggest games, playing for the big teams,” he said. “But it’s most definitely too early to talk about a title race!”
