James Maddison scored 21 goals in his 99 Premier League appearances
James Maddison keeps his run by drifting to the left side of Etihad Stadium's midfield. Before grabbing the ball, he checks his surroundings to make sure he is in space.
Manchester City's defenders fled in fear after seeing their lead evaporate after conceding three goals each half. They were only inviting more misery. Maddison holds his breath, then opens his body to take a graceful shot at Ederson.
It was 27/09/2020, and Leicester defeated Pep Guardiola 5-2. This was his worst home defeat since he arrived in the Premier League.
Jamie Vardy had already scored a hat trick, but Maddison's goal, his first since January of that year, had everyone talking. He was also in the running for a spot as a playmaker in England's Euro 2020 squad, along with Phil Foden and Jack Grealish.
Things have changed since then. Since then, the 24-year-old has had a less consistent form and was severely hampered by a hip injury that halted his summer run. Although Leicester won the FA Cup beating Chelsea 1-0 in final, Maddison was unable to make a comeback at Wembley due to his fitness.
He was not the only problem. Grealish and Foden had fallen behind him significantly by the end. The Foxes' inability to secure a Champions League slot - despite being in the top four for most the campaign - was devastating. There was not a ripple of opposition when Gareth Southgate named England's squad for the Euros, and Maddison wasn’t there. The same happened on Thursday, when Maddison was removed from the 25-man party to qualify for the World Cup.
"Grealish is miles ahead"
James Maddison, Jack Grealish and Jack Grealish were in the running for England's Euro 2020 squad. But he was injured in his hip.
Foden was seen as an attacking string at City. Maddison, Grealish, who have since moved to the Premier League champions, Aston Villa, were seen as the chief creative force in their respective teams.
Opta reports that Maddison's output wasn't just behind his potential England counterparts but also his own two-season performance. He created 51 opportunities for his teammates last season, which was five less than the 2018-19 campaign. His dribble completion fell from 61.7% down to 54.7, while his attempts dropped from 88 to 55.
Foden had nine goals and five assists in 17 Premier League matches in 2020-21. Maddison only scored one goal, but he provided the same number of assists after starting seven more matches. Grealish had six goals and scored the most chances (81) despite only making 26 league appearances.
Chris Sutton, Premier League winner, was critical of Maddison's performance on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club on 9 August.
Sutton stated that he thought he had a terrible season by his standards, and that he let Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers' down. He was not the only one who was partying at West Ham's final game of the season.
"Leicester lost that game, and they were eliminated from a Champions League spot. That game might have been a catalyst. Maddison's last season didn't convince Brendan.
"It is clear that Maddison was at one point in front Grealish, but suddenly Grealish has jumpedfrog Maddison and is now miles ahead.
"Grealish used to be a Jack the lad a few seasons back, but he's grown up and is totally professional.
Maddison must also look at the negative side of this. Take a look at Gareth Southgate's impressions of Maddison with the England squad. He could have been in the Euros squad. There are many reasons he wasn't.
"This is a huge season for James Maddison. We believe he is talented, so he must prove it and pay Brendan Rodgers.
"Injuries have impeded his progress"
James Maddison's professional career has been hindered by numerous injuries
After being a key figure in England's Euro 2020 journey, Grealish moved to City for 100m. Maddison was linked to Arsenal this summer. Rodgers dismissed the story over the weekend as "gossip".
Rodgers acknowledged that Leicester's victory at Wembley in less than a month over Manchester City in this month's Community Shield, earlier this month, was a surprise, but he backed his player to rebound from a tough period in his career.
Rodgers stated that Rodgers believes they are close and both are very talented players. James has suffered from several injuries that have impeded his progress.
He is trying to keep his fitness up, and this will be a huge year. It takes a little luck to do that.
You can see how hard he works for the team. His quality, how he handles the ball and his keen eye for the final pass are evident.
He is a remarkable talent. He can only play at the highest level for Leicester and watch what happens.
"Whatever comes at him, he takes the challenge in his stride to deal with it."
Maddison started his career with Coventry City, his hometown club.
Maddison has never had many setbacks, but he also has a lot of self-confidence. He has had to learn how to play elite football, just like many others in his generation.
His career started at Coventry City where he made a debut when he was 17. He then moved to Norwich City and, after a brief loan spell in Scotland, joined Aberdeen, Leicester. He's worked hard.
Richard Stevens has coached Maddison as a boy at the Coventry Academy. He manages West Bromwich Albion's youth program, but keeps in touch and monitors his progress.
Stevens told BBC Sport that Stevens has been the best trainer ever. Stevens says that he has always been driven but that he has worked hard to improve his abilities since a young age, when he was five, six, or seven years old.
He says that some of the small hurdles in his career have helped him become the person he is today. He is currently a member of a Premier League top six team, and has been so for the past two years. He's been suffering from injuries that have prevented him from being in contention to play in the England group this summer.
Stevens believes Maddison was a great balancer, even though he had waited to grow physically. He was always at the center of everything.
Stevens says, "Whatever he was when he was 11, he is still at 24." He was small compared to his team-mates but his character was just as strong as any of them. He was part of a great group. They were tough on one another and competitive. Sixteen of them played for Coventry’s first team, which is quite an accomplishment for an academy.
They set the standard and James was there to keep it up. He was the ringleader, the voice. But he was also a team player.
Maddison was a teenager when Stevens refused to offer him a scholarship contract at Coventry. Although doubts could have grown and gotten worse, Stevens was impressed by Maddison's inner confidence, which is why he believes Maddison will be able to get back on track.
Stevens says that James was among the last people I offered a contract for in his age group. "I wanted him to wait because I knew he was hungry. I was certain that I would give it to him. I still don't know what my thoughts were!
"In today's market, you need to be open and honest. You can't play the same game as James. His family was supportive and he knew he was signing a contract.
"He was an incredible talent, but you don’t know what football is. It was rare to see young players at the first-team level back then. Although it was difficult to predict his future, once he reached the same levels as 17-year-olds, you could tell he was determined to define his own limits.
He is a fighter and he will take whatever comes his way. He is an extraordinary example of resilience. He is a skilled and mentally sharp individual who can always reach the next level.
He has an air of confidence. This isn't cockiness. He just understands that he has the tools to succeed. It's evident in his play. He'll make it happen if you give him the ball on any pitch.
Maddison needs to improve if he wants to continue his upward trajectory. He demonstrated his talent with the goal in Manchester City last year and he believes he can return stronger than ever.
