Leicester City and England midfielder James Maddison has addressed the infamous casino incident that was seen to have dented his international hopes in October 2019. Maddison was pictured in a Leicester city centre casino on the same night he was declared too unwell to play for England in a Euro 2020 qualifier against the Czech Republic. It was an incident that sparked plenty of conversation among supporters and pundits, but both Maddison and Southgate quickly put the incident to bed. The City star was asked about that night in a pre-World Cup press conference on Wednesday afternoon, with a suggestion that it could have been a concern for his England future swiftly dismissed by the 25-year-old.
James Maddison said: “I thought that might get brought up, and I’m actually glad you asked. People forget I was actually capped by Gareth Southgate and called up after the casino incident. It wasn’t a big deal, at the time, for Gareth and it got blown out of proportion. Some of it was ridiculous (compared) to what actually happened. Ah, that’s in the past. I don’t want to go into the details because we know, in-house, what it was and it wasn’t a big deal then. Like I said, I was actually capped after that incident so people who often say (things about it) I think are maybe just looking for excuses for me and why I wasn’t in the squad.”
When asked to confirm it wasn’t a concern for him leading up to this winter,
James Maddison said: “No. We’d already spoken about it and put it to bed. I was called up and capped after that, so that was never a concern. That was more outside noise from you lot, I think.”
England boss Gareth Southgate recently described Maddison as misunderstood, something the midfielder doesn’t see from his point of view.
James Maddison said: “Anyone who knows me, or anyone within football, knows the type of person I am. How I am as a person and as a player. I always try and carry myself with respect and very professionally. If other people outside might not think that, maybe that’s what he’s talking about. I don’t feel like I’m misunderstood. Listen, sitting here today, 25-year-old James Maddison who’s a father, would probably say to 20-year-old James Maddison: ‘hmm, probably not the best idea to do that, or to do that’. But that’s all part of learning and all part of experience. That’s probably why I’m thicker-skinned and more experienced to sit here and talk to you now, because of the little things that have happened in the past.”
