How James Maddison can break into Premier League top five list after pre-season return

James Maddison has completed his first minutes of Tottenham's pre-season in their final fixture.

Roberto De Zerbi has been careful with Maddison as he looks to return to full-time action following an ACL injury.

Last season, there were a handful of cameos for the Tottenham number 10, but that was perhaps due to the desperation to avoid relegation.

Despite heading out on the tour of New Zealand and Australia, the Englishman was an unused player but he has now made his return.

And that should be the start of the attacking midfielder slowly reintegrating back into the squad for the 2026-2027 season.

While he will want the best for Tottenham, on a personal note, he could also enter the top five of an all-time Premier League list.

The all-time list James Maddison can break into at Tottenham

Set-pieces are growing in importance in football and Maddison is quite good at taking them.

If he is on the pitch, you can likely expect him to be taking corners and especially free-kicks.

Maddison is one of the best dead-ball specialists in the Premier League and that is proven by his record.

As per Opta Analyst, Maddison is sixth for all-time Premier League goals from free-kicks.

With his total of nine, he is also just one away from breaking into the top five, a total shared by Ian Harte and Morten Gamst Pedersen.

If he wants to end his career at the top, he will need to double his current tally of nine, with David Beckham on 18 goals.

With his first minutes before the 2026-2027 season under his belt, hopefully it won't be long before he can start in the league and begin working his way towards that.

How did Maddison get on in pre-season return?

As Tottenham took on Hoffenheim in a 2-2 draw, Maddison was handed the first-half to get minutes into this legs.

Interestingly, the Englishman was utilised in a false nine role and here is how he got on.

In his 45 minute display, he did look to actively get on the ball, picking up 29 touches as per Sofascore.

He was unable to make the most of those touches, managing zero shots and zero chances created.

However, he was heavily involved in fouls picking up three for his team and conceding two himself.

It was not a vintage Maddison performance and by no means was he at his best.

But it is a step in the right direction as the Lilywhites gear up to face Brentford on 22 August in the opening weekend of the Premier League.