"I was a bit emotional" 🥹 | Maddison reacts after scoring in first start for 536 days
James Maddison on scoring on his first start in 536 days: emotional, but still confident he can give Tottenham much more
Sky Sports' Monday Night Football speaks to James Maddison after his first start in 536 days and a goal. He discusses the timing of his return, his best role between the lines, the finish, and his belief that he still has much more to give Tottenham; a guest stresses how important his return is to the team's attacking options.
- After a stop-start start to the season, this was the right moment to return to the starting XI, and he wanted to show his qualities and what the team had missed over the past 18 months — He said he had spoken with the manager during the week, felt ready, and wanted to perform well.
- Goals and moments like this were what he dreamed of during his ACL recovery, making all the hard work worthwhile and leaving him emotional — He described the dark days of rehabilitation and said those moments were the light at the end of the tunnel.
- He is at his best between the lines and in pockets of space, where a midfield setup with extra players inside gives him freedom to drop deep and roam to affect the game — He said he had license to help in build-up and pop up on the right, left and centrally.
- He wanted a one-touch finish and felt he executed it perfectly by bending the ball from a central position into the far top corner — He said the team had worked on a teammate cutting inside and pulling the ball back, and he read the pass and his footwork to go for the first-time finish.
- Maddison is very important to the team, who missed his energy and quality on the pitch, and his return gives them more attacking options to score — He said he was excited for Maddison's goal, stressed his importance before the game, and believed the fans would be happy because the team now has more options going forward.
- He has always felt he belongs at Tottenham and, at 29, still believes he has plenty of years and quality left to help the team in the Premier League — He said the club and fans showed him love during his tough periods, so he still has much more to give.
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Transcript
James Madison starting for the first time in 536 days and scoring a goal like that. And I'm delighted to say James joins us live now. Well, welcome back, James. First of all, I know you have um well, you you think big. So, did you imagine you could make the impact that you did returning to the starting lineup tonight? >> Yeah, I hope Dave. Um, I hoped, you know, I spoke to the gaffer about this week, you know, and and just feeling like the right moment for me to to go back into the starting 11 after a bit of a um stop start start to the season. Um, and yeah, I just wanted to I just wanted to play well. I just wanted to show show my qualities and what and show what I bring to the team and what the team's missed um in the last 18 months or whatever it is from my last start. So, um, Agaffa asked me to to to play and and he wanted to enjoy watching me from the side. So, hopefully hopefully I did that. And, uh, yeah, obviously a goal like that's always nice. >> So, when you think about all that time out, all the rehabilitation, all those hours that you spent by yourself, no doubt, in the gym working hard, trying to strengthen those key muscles and then to hit a strike like that. Can you describe that feeling when the ball hits the net? Not really. They're the ones that you they're just a bit blurry, you know. Um but yeah, they're the ones you dream of like without going too deep into it them dark days last year recovering from the ACL just you dream of them moments, them goals and you just that's always the the light at the end of the tunnel for you. And um that's why I felt I was a bit emotional. And I felt really proud of um Dan Kullesvki today as well because him coming back I just I knew exactly that feeling that feeling that he had stepping back onto the pitch after that amount of time out. Um but yeah them sort of moments and them goals they make it all worth it. Definitely. >> James, we're going to go through your goal and have a look at it and that's position you like between the lines. We we looked at the setup at the start of the game when the game was going on. It looked like like almost like a diamond. you were playing some sort of three diamond three that was you know different type of setup but that allowed you to play behind Dominic Salanki and that's where you get your goal from in that space. Yeah, I think I think that's where I operate best, Carrie. You know, in the pockets, right in between the lines. Um, and with the extra midfielders on the inside with Archie and Mammoosh to the side of me, I had a bit of license and a bit of freedom to drop deep and help Sandro Tali in the buildup as well, which I like to do. So, quite roaming. I was popping up on the right and the left and centrally. Um, and that's when I'm at my best, I feel like, you know, between the lines and just being able to pick up this uh the the pockets of space where I feel I can affect the game at different moments. But um yeah, and like you said, that's where the goal came from. So, >> we're going to roll the goal in for you now. Can you just talk us about the finish, your feet movements as well, just to adjust as the ball's coming into you? >> Yeah, C we had worked on Cudas cutting in on his left foot and um and and wrapping it back to me. But I just I wanted I didn't know if he was going to pass it with pace where I'd need to take a touch or just leave it for me for that one touch finish. I want if you can tell by my foot pattern, I did want the the one touch finish because I was ready for it. And then it was just about, you know, starting it centrally and bending it to that far top corner. And I I did that. I did that quite perfectly. >> Sandro's here with us as well. James, you might have a question for you. >> He knows that I love him. [laughter] >> I'm so happy. I'm so happy for you, Madson, because you are very important for us and we miss you in the pitch and then your energy as well. And I was buzzing here, man, for your goal. before the game I said no mu it's it's so important because we know your quality man and and we feel so happy and the sport plus fans as well are happy because we know that we going to have uh more uh going forward more options uh to score the goals well done congratulations >> thank you mate kindly [laughter] I I appreciate it um no but yeah it's just listen I like to I said I remember on Monday Night Football with um with car and Dave last year I said that I always felt like I belonged at Tottenham. So, I have this feeling with with the time I missed out and the love that they've even shown me through them tough periods that I still have so much more to give for this club. Genuinely, I'm 29. I've still got plenty of years left and I have a lot of self-belief and I know that I have quality that can really help us in this league. So, um hopefully a few more of them for you, Sandra. >> Well, James, you mentioned coming on the show and we class you as a friend of Monday Night Football. So, I was a little bit surprised this week when you spoke to Sky Sports and you said your favorite pundit was Roy Keane. >> I knew [laughter] that was coming. >> I knew that was coming. >> I said, "Hey, if you actually watch the full thing, Cara, I say he's my favorite to watch, but I think your analysis the best, sir." [laughter] >> There you go, >> James. Offs. >> You can see more of that on Sky Sports Premier League YouTube. I can't believe, by the way, James, you had a week in Marba with your mates and you didn't take your golf clubs. Is this true or not? >> No, I didn't. We didn't have time. We were working hard and training. You know, it's like Dave on them. >> Yeah, [laughter] we believe you. Congratulations. Enjoy this moment. Enjoy this night. And um welcome back to the big time, James. Great to have you. >> Thank you, lads. Appreciate it. by dent.