Tottenham: James Maddison 'killer' for Ange Postecoglou amid Rafael van der Vaart comparison
James Maddison is one of the most important figures in Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham squad, having cemented his name in the starting XI since joining from Leicester City last summer.
The England international has been hindered by injury during the campaign, having missed the entirety of December, but has returned to the team with a vengeance.
Maddison has gone from strength to strength at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, taking his game to a new level under the guidance of Postecoglou and thriving alongside the likes of Son Heung-min, Richarlison and Dejan Kulusevski.
Despite only making 18 Premier League appearances for Spurs so far, the 27-year-old has registered four goals and seven assists, winning the hearts of the fans.
James Maddison compared to Rafael van der Vaart at Tottenham
Former Tottenham ace Sandro dubbed Maddison as a "top player", and was quoted as saying by The Mirror on Saturday (30 March, page 4 of the Football pullout): "I can see something of Van der Vaart in him - like the mind, the intelligence, the small passes.
"When the game is hard, you have to find Maddison for his killer pass."
With an 88 per cent pass accuracy in the Premier League this season, as per FotMob, it is no wonder why Maddison is second only to Son on assists, tying with Pedro Porro.
Among midfielders in the top-five European leagues, the 27-year-old boasts a top 92 percentile ranking for assists, as well as the top 99 percentile for shot-creating actions. [FBref]
Claiming an assist every 210 minutes in the top tier of English football, as per FotMob, Maddison certainly has that "killer" instinct, which suggests exactly why Postecoglou loves him at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
He also ranks in the top 90 percentile for passes attempted and the top 97 percentile for progressive passes, averaging 7.6 progressive passes per 90 minutes. [FBref]
The former Leicester midfielder does not just impact the final third, however. Maddison is key for Spurs winning the ball back and breaking quickly, boasting a top 80 percentile ranking for tackles.
Considering the project that Postecoglou is currently building at the club, and plenty of room for his favourite midfielder to develop after returning from injury, this could just be the start of comparisons to former Spurs stars.
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