Joe Cole says ‘brave’ Tottenham Hotspur player is elite

Joe Cole says ‘brave’ Tottenham Hotspur player is elite

Joe Cole has labelled James Maddison elite as he suggested that he knew that the Tottenham Hotspur talisman was special when he worked with him at Coventry City.

Cole was speaking on Five as he shared why he has been so keen to see the 26-year-old play for England over the past few years.

James Maddison has been outstanding since his move to Tottenham in the summer. And he has been a massive loss for Ange Postecoglou’s side after sustaining an injury before the international break.
But his success will not have come as a big surprise to Joe Cole. Cole finished his playing career in England with a spell with Coventry City. And while there, he got the chance to work alongside Maddison.

Cole was asked about whether he could see Maddison’s potential during his spell with the Sky Blues. And he was emphatic in his response.

“Definitely. He’s a great lad by the way,” he told Five. “I’ve been banging the drum for him to play for England, not just because of his quality, because of his personality and mindset.

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“When you play for England, it’s the ultimate pressure for English players because of the situation. Every time you pull on an England shirt, you need to be brave, more than anything. You want a brave player. And not someone who’s crashing into tackles, somebody who’s going to get the ball and take responsibility. And James Maddison is elite at that.”

Spurs star is already taking on responsibility at new club

Maddison is certainly not afraid of taking on responsibility. He was Leicester’s best player for a number of years before his departure.

And he was swiftly made Spurs’ co-vice-captain after arriving in the summer. Maddison did not expect to be given the role. But he looks like he has been playing for Tottenham for a lot longer than just a few months.

Spurs will be desperate to have Maddison back as soon as possible. He has been so influential. And while Tottenham have still played well without him, they have surely missed his superstar quality.