Why Leicester City’s James Maddison is set to become the next big thing
One of the stars of the ongoing Premier League season so far has been a Leicester City player. No, it’s not England’s World Cup hero Harry Maguire but instead, it’s their new signing James Maddison.
Maddison arrived at the King Power from Championship team Norwich City for a fee of £20million pounds in the summer. He was Norwich’s star man in the Championship last season, where he scored 14 goals and set up 8 more. But he has clearly carried his good form into the top-flight as well, establishing himself as one of the standout players.
Maddison has started all six Premier League games this season, scoring 3 times and assisting 1 more. One of the three goals came via a world-class free-kick which he scored against Huddersfield Town last weekend. But it’s not just his goals and assists that have impressed. He was hands down, Leicester’s best player against both Manchester United and Liverpool.
Till now, he has made 241 passes with an accuracy of 84%, which also includes 10 key passes and 2 big chances. Playing behind Jamie Vardy in a No.10 role, Maddison doesn’t shy away from taking his chances. He has taken 14 shots on goal, out of which 7 have been on target and one has rattled the post.
His vision and shooting ability is complemented by his quick feet and excellent ball control, allowing him to complete 5 out of the 8 dribbles he has attempted this season.
Maddison was roped in by the Foxes to replace Riyad Mahrez, who switched King Power for Etihad in the summer. As a result, the former Norwich man has ensured that Claude Puel and his men haven’t missed the Algerian one bit.
But the only problem for Leicester, however, is that Maddison plays for Leicester City. Yes, they did win the Premier League title in 2016 but still, they are not counted amongst the best teams in England.
Just like what happened with Mahrez, great performances for the Foxes will be sure to attract interest for the England U21 international. Leicester must ensure their star remains with them for as long as possible but it will be tough for them to retain a supreme talent like Maddison.
