Tottenham Hotspur midfielder James Maddison has revealed that new manager Ange Postecoglou has promised him a “completely different” team at Tottenham.
Maddison, who recently joined Spurs on a five-year contract, expressed his excitement about playing in a more attack-minded system under Postecoglou’s expected 4-3-3 formation.
During the reign of former manager Antonio Conte, Tottenham lacked a creative midfielder like Maddison due to the team’s reliance on defensive formations. However, Maddison is eager to witness a revitalized Tottenham side for the upcoming 2023-24 season.
In his first interview with the club’s official website,he shared his conversation with Postecoglou, saying, “He said one thing to me on the call… ‘whether you come or not, you’re going to see a completely different Spurs team under me’. That kind of stuck with me… I thought ‘wow there’s that same self-belief that I’ve got in myself’.”
Maddison, who made a name for himself at Leicester City, joins Tottenham with an impressive track record of 55 goals and 41 assists in 203 appearances. Despite his individual contributions, Leicester suffered relegation in the previous season. His performances caught the attention of other clubs, including Newcastle United, before he decided to join Tottenham.
The 26-year-old midfielder also expressed his admiration for former Tottenham player Christian Eriksen, describing him as one of his favorite players. Maddison hopes to bring his enthusiasm and love for the game to Tottenham, following in the footsteps of Eriksen, who produced quality moments during his time at the club.
Maddison could make his non-competitive debut for Tottenham in their pre-season friendly against West Ham United on July 18 as part of the team’s Asia-Pacific Tour. Tottenham will also face his former club Leicester City, Roma, and Shakhtar Donetsk before kicking off the new Premier League season away to Brentford on August 13.
