Tottenham: Ex-scout baffled by Kobbie Mainoo at Manchester United as James Maddison affected
Ex-Tottenham scout Bryan King has been left baffled after Gareth Southgate decided to start James Maddison on the bench for England against Brazil and Belgium.
Maddison played no part as the Three Lions were beaten 1-0 at Wembley by Brazil on Saturday (23 March).
He was introduced as a late substitute against Belgium, assisting Jude Bellingham to help his nation salvage a 2-2 draw at Wembley on Tuesday (26 March) and avoid back-to-back friendly defeats in the process.
And King has been left baffled by Southgate’s decision to hand Maddison less than 30 minutes of football across the March international break.
Speaking exclusively to Tottenham News, King said: “A midfield of Bellingham, Maddison and Declan Rice would be superb for me, but the final decision lies with Southgate.
“All of a sudden he has brought in Kobbie Mainoo from Manchester United, and he is being played ahead of Maddison. That surprises me, especially after the season Maddison has had.
“Mainoo has only just emerged on the scene at United, and suddenly they have the perfect player to play alongside Rice? What about Maddison?
“I know he had that spell on the sidelines which might have impacted his chances, but a midfield of Maddison, Bellingham and Rice looks very good to me on paper.
“I thought these friendlies would have been a great chance to see what Maddison could do, but clearly Southgate doesn’t think so.”
James Maddison deserves minutes for England at the Euros after his season at Tottenham under Ange Postecoglou
Maddison will be wondering what more he needs to do to prove to Southgate that he is worthy of starting for England.
Following his move to Tottenham from Leicester City the playmaker was one of the Premier League’s best players, and despite a dip in form since returning from injury, there should be no question marks over his quality.
His late assist against Belgium would have sent a message to Southgate that he is ready to make an impact at the European Championships in Germany this summer.
Southgate must now respond by handing Maddison a greater role, and the 27-year-old will be keen to show he is worthy of that role during the final 10 Premier League games of the season as Spurs look to qualify for the UEFA Champions League.
In other Tottenham news, Daniel Levy is set for a multi-million boost at Spurs with Harry Kane set to return to North London in August.
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