At a glance:
- Daniel Farke lauds James Maddison
- Tottenham midfielder made long-awaited injury return vs Leeds
- Maddison worked with Farke at Norwich City
Tottenham took another big step towards securing Premier League safety as they secured a 1-1 draw against Leeds United at home.
Daniel Farke’s side are already safe and came into the game with key absentees. However, they produced a spirited display away from home to secure a come-from-behind draw.
Mathys Tel broke the deadlock for Tottenham with a worldie, but Dominic Calvert-Lewin leveled from the spot in the 72nd minute.
The game also saw the return of James Maddison, who featured for around 20 minutes, including stoppage time.
And Farke, who worked with him at Norwich City, showered high praise on the Englishman after the game.
Farke in awe of Maddison
Maddison was Norwich City Player of the Year under Farke before securing a move to Leicester City, so the pair know each other quite well.
Just before making his return to the pitch, the pair were involved in a warm embrace on the touchline, which is a sign of mutual respect.
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Maddison showed his class during his brief spell on the pitch and almost got Tottenham a late penalty, although it was turned down by VAR.
And after the game, Farke singled out the England international for special praise/
“He’s a dangerous customer for me because he was a player for me when he was young,” said the Leeds United boss.
“If you love football, then you love James Maddison.”
De Zerbi says Maddison important for Tottenham
De Zerbi also praised the 29-year-old, who returned after spending more than a year on the sidelines due to an ACL injury.
“Great news for us,” began De Zerbi.
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“He is a different player in terms of quality, as a guy and he will be, I hope, crucial for us. Yesterday I spoke with him about his physical condition and about how many minutes he could play.
“He played more than what he said yesterday. We are happy for him but I think we are in the right way.”
Maddison got nearly 15-20 minutes under his belt during a highly intense game, which will bode well for his long-term fitness.
However, Tottenham will undoubtedly err on the side of caution with the Englishman as their injury luck has been truly rotten over the past couple of seasons.
If Maddison plays a combined 45 minutes in the remaining two games, don’t be surprised to have a telling say in the relegation battle, as when he’s on song, there aren’t too many better players at De Zerbi’s disposal currently.
