‘Quality is there straight away’ – Postecoglou opens up on how Maddison looks in Spurs training
Ange Postecoglou has admitted that being out of action for nearly three months was mentally quite challenging for James Maddison and the Aussie coach revealed...
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Ange Postecoglou has admitted that being out of action for nearly three months was mentally quite challenging for James Maddison and the Aussie coach revealed that the attacking midfielder looks back to his best in training.
Maddison’s injury came at a time when the attacking midfielder was absolutely dominating the Premier League, with the Lilywhites sitting at the summit of the table at the time.
The likes of Dejan Kulusevski and Giovani Lo Celso have stepped up impressively to fill the creative void left by the 27-year-old’s absence but Postecoglou will be delighted to have the former Leicester City man back.
The Spurs head coach explained that Maddison is the sort of character who thrives in the dressing room environment, which is why he found it quite difficult to not be involved over the last couple of months.
Ahead of Tottenham’s clash against Manchester City, Postecoglou told Football.London about the midfielder: “It was tough for him, because he does love his football, he loves the environment of football clubs, he loves the dressing room.
“He’s kind of a force within that. It’s hard for all players when they’ve got to go through rehab, especially a character like him. I suggest that our sports science staff wouldn’t enjoy the one-on-one with Madders. He’s more of a guy who wants to be in the group.
“We did send him away in the middle of it. We felt it was good for him to get away with his family, we sent a physio with him. I think that helped bridge that time. When he got back from that, he was refreshed. Once he could see the finish line of ‘Ok, I’m getting to the tail end of it’, you could see his spirits lift. It’s been good to get him back.”
Maddison is ready to go in Tottenham training
The 58-year-old insisted that Maddison has not needed any time to get up to speed in training and backed the England international to make up for lost time.
When asked about how the recent injury returnee has fared in training, Postecoglou said: “I don’t want to put those expectations [on him], but I know what Madders expects and in training, you wouldn’t know that he’s missed so much.
“The quality is there straight away and everyone notices it, and he’s looking good physically. So I’m sure that he’s the kind of guy who will want to make up for lost time and come back in and make an impact straight away.”
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Apart from Maddison’s attributes as a footballer, what the attacking midfielder also brings is a kind of determination and aura, that completely changes the character of this Tottenham unit.
The 27-year-old is also evidently a leader on the pitch, which is crucial given that Son Heung-min is currently away at the Asian Cup.
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