Spurs star Maddison hungry for England return after Tuchel talks

As new England head coach Thomas Tuchel prepares to name his maiden squad for the World Cup qualifiers coming up next month, James Maddison is confident that he has a shot of making the selection. The Spurs midfielder revealed that the two have been in contact ahead of the fixtures against Albania and Latvia at Wembley, insisting that he is hungry to contribute to the Three Lions team after getting back to top shape.

"He has touched base," Maddison said after reports emerged that the former Chelsea manager had set up a hotline to stay in touch with up to 50 potential call-ups. “I think he was reaching out to a lot of players who would be in the selection, probably quite a big pool of players that the FA have identified." Having returned from a calf injury, the 28-year-old has been looking bright for Tottenham, bagging two goals and two assists in his last three matches.

"I'm hungry to be part of that. I feel like I'm in good form, my numbers are pretty good, and there are not too many midfielders who can out-score and out-assist me," he added. "Especially now when I'm feeling good as well, feeling sharp. I know I can affect most games. It's just about continuing to do that. Like I always say, if I play at that level for Tottenham, then the rest will take care of itself because I have a really strong self-belief."

Maddison has registered seven caps in total for England. The player was devastated after being excluded from Southgate's Euro 2024 squad last summer and will now be hoping for a fresh chance with Tuchel. His last appearance for the Three Lions squad was during an international friendly on July 3, however, his last start dates back to October 12 2023. The Spurs star played 73 minutes against Austria during another international friendly.