#PLStories- James Maddison opens up on ‘hardest period of career’ as he ends eight-month goal drought #LCFC
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James Maddison Leicester City
James Maddison believes he has put the hardest period of his career behind him after ending an eight-month goal drought with the winner at Brentford. Maddison tapped in Patson Daka’s unselfish pass to clinch three points for Leicester City in west London having last found the net in a victory at Aston Villa in February. Since then, Maddison has suffered a recurrence of a hip problem, a spell in and out of the team, and a period of underwhelming form. But after a few games out of the team last month, Maddison has gradually improved throughout October, culminating in an assist at Spartak Moscow and a goal at Brentford. In an honest assessment, Maddison revealed that he has been low on confidence, and had an open conversation with Brendan Rodgers about how to rediscover his form. Now, he feels like he’s getting his swagger back.
James Maddison said: “It’s been the hardest (period) of my career if I’m being completely honest. Especially people from the outside, they don’t know what goes on, they don’t know my life. I’m my own biggest critic. If I’ve had a bad game, when I get back I watch the game straight away. Stats are one thing, goals and assists, but even just playing well, playing to the level you know you can. At the start of the season I wasn’t playing to the level I know I can. It’s disappointing, and at one point I had a good chat with the gaffer and told him I’m a bit low on confidence, and it’s the first time I’ve been able to put my hands up and say that because it kind of puts you in a vulnerable position when you admit to the manager that you’re a bit low on confidence. But I was and that was me being honest. We looked at what makes me a good player, my best clips, to try to get back to where I am. The last few games I’ve felt more like myself, I’ve felt like I’ve got my confidence back. In midweek I felt like I had my swagger back, winning free-kicks, on the half-turn, the stuff I do well. Sometimes you can overthink it. After Brighton away I got taken out of the team for a few games. I was doing extras after training with sports science. I didn’t want to be the guy that settles for not being good enough. The gaffer challenged me to get back to the level of player I can, I can be one of the best in the Premier League. I’ve felt good the last few games, the win over United felt good for the confidence.”
While City fans will have enjoyed Maddison’s display, the Brentford supporters did not. They booed his every touch in the second half, deeming him to have been wasting time and going down too easily. When Maddison scored, he shushed the crowd, then sarcastically applauded when he was substituted.
James Maddison added: “I loved that today because fans don’t like it when players win free-kicks, even if they’re clear free-kicks. Getting booed and getting chanted at by the home fans here, it’s just motivation for me.”
His goal came after Daka chose not to try to extend his scoring streak, rather playing in Maddison to tap into an empty net.
James Maddison said: “As a guy Patson is so nice, so humble, so hard-working, I don’t think he has a greedy bone in his body. I always believed he was going to square it to me, but I was screaming just in case he wasn’t. It’s my job to try to keep up with him because he’s so quick, but thankfully he squared it, with good vision and good awareness.”
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