Gareth Southgate praised James Maddison for the impact he made when he came on against Belgium on Tuesday.
While Maddison is guaranteed to be on the plane for Germany this summer, the Tottenham man looks extremely unlikely to get into the starting eleven, with Jude Bellingham being the preferred option in the number 10 role.
In fact, the 27-year-old got a total of just 17 minutes during the international break, having been an unused substitute against Brazil and coming on in the 73rd minute against Belgium.
That was enough for Maddison to show what he can do, with the attacking midfielder showcasing his creativity and vision every single time he got on the ball.
The Tottenham star set up Jude Bellingham’s stoppage-time equaliser with a superb assist, picking out the Real Madrid man’s run inside the box despite being surrounded by a number of Belgian shirts.
James Maddison impresses the England manager
Southgate reserved special praise for Maddison and West Ham winger Jarrod Bowen after his side battled back to secure a draw.
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The England boss told beIN SPORTS: “I thought James Maddison when he came on had a very good impact. Jarrod Bowen had an excellent game. So there were a lot of very, very good performances.”
Spurs Web Opinion
We know that Southgate is quite conservative and I cannot see him moving away from his template of having two holding midfielders. So it is going to be quite difficult for Maddison to force his way into the starting eleven unless there is an injury to Bellingham.
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