James Maddison has unfollowed all but five of his England teammate after been axed again by England boss
He was then ruled out of the showpiece and sent home. But after he was played for Tottenham last week, there was some speculation that was going to return to the squad after improving his ways of playing .
Despite showing his creativity and class at club level for Leicester and now Tottenham, Maddison’s place in the England set-up has been sporadic.
Making his debut in 2019, three years then passed until his next call-up, which came at the 2022 World Cup. Maddison didn’t make an appearance in Qatar.
He was then selected for the provisional Euro 2024 squad, but was cut from the final group – a decision he said was ‘devastating’.
In total, Maddison has earned only seven England caps in five years, and it appears whatever reason it was that Gareth Southgate didn’t select him has now been passed to his successor.
That’s despite the player and new Three Lions interim boss going quite a way back – having worked together at Coventry City and with the England Under-21s.
Speaking before Thursday’s squad announcement, Maddison said in a Tottenham press conference: “I want to be in the England squad, every player does.
“I know Lee Carsley well. I feel really fit, maybe the fittest I’ve ever been. I had the summer off and it’s been said about Erling Haaland and how sharp he’s come back feeling, and I feel confident and alive.
“I always want to prove the doubters wrong and that’s where I get my hunger from.”
This latest snub will surprise more than a few supporters, especially considering the 27-year-old has started the 2024/25 season well with one goal and two assists in the Premier League.
Unfortunately he faces tough competition for the No.10 position with Cole Palmer, Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham and Morgan Gibbs-White being called up over him.
Maddison is back in form for Tottenham after a poor end to the last season – but he’s still missed out on an England spot
Maddison is back in form for Tottenham after a poor end to the last season – but he’s still missed out on an England spot
When asked about the difficulty of fitting in so many talented players, Carsley replied: “It’s a challenge with the squad that we’ve got, we’ve got so many talented players.
“We always look at finding the right balance, who complements who in terms of the way that we play. I try not to get too caught up in positions, it’s more the attributes and the way we can potentially attack the opposition.”
Palmer is hot off becoming the first player ever to score four goals in the first half of a Premier League match.
The Chelsea attacker withdrew from the previous team to rehabilitate an injury but he will return as a key player for the senior squad in similar fashion to his U21s European campaign in which he assisted the winner against Spain to lift the trophy.
He is the talk of the town right now as Jamie Carragher named him the current best player in the English top flight.
Phil Foden, last season’s PFA Player of the Year, was also selected to face Ireland and Finland but was unavailable due to illness, so it will be interesting to discover how he is utilised in Carsley’s new system.
Despite a lack of game time for Manchester City so far this season, and a poor Euros campaign, he remains one of England’s best talents.
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