James Maddison has good reason to be chipper, the perfect candidate for England’s first official press conference from the World Cup because last week he received the best news of his professional career. As Maddison explained at England’s Al-Wakrah training complex, the worst thing was forgoing the chance at a midseason holiday with his family and a chance to recharge ahead of the second half of the domestic season. He’ll probably get over it.
To say Maddison has waited for and wanted this is an understatement. When he was at school, a teacher told him that “only one in a million make it as a footballer”; he used it as fuel. Three years ago, when an England Under-21 international, he spoke of never taking an international game for granted. Then followed three years in exile, save 30 minutes as a substitute. His performances over the last year for Leicester City have been talismanic.
Maddison was challenged to prove himself, has done and been rewarded with perfect timing. He says that the call from Gareth Southgate was a blur because he was braced for both good news and bad. The subsequent call to his parents will live longer in the mind; it was the first time he remembers his dad crying in years.
From unbridled hope to unparalleled opportunity – coming into the squad so late surely gives Maddison an advantage. He exists now as a paradox: we know everything about his game, hence the clamour for his inclusion, and yet we know nothing of him as an England player and so everything is potential. For the player, there must come a certain psychological freedom with a late call-up. A fortnight ago, Maddison thought he might not go to the World Cup. Now everything is a bonus.
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Success or failure in any high-pressured sporting scenario, of which the World Cup is the greatest, comes down to a series of moments: mistakes and magic, smiles and cries. Win more of those moments than you lose and you can win a tournament; lose more and you will go home in ignominy. So for your wildcards, you take players who can generate those moments through their talent and sheer self-belief.
“Beckham and set-pieces – how many times have we watched that free-kick that sent us to a major tournament?” he said on Wednesday. “They are the moments you literally dream of, the kind you might get if everything goes perfectly. Big moments in tournaments are the ones that get replayed for years and years, so to get one would be absolutely unbelievable. That would be the real pinnacle, the real dream.”
Football doesn’t deal in fairy tales. Its greatest stories are formed where exceptional talent meets exceptional preparation and luck. You can have one, two or even three of the above and there are still no guarantees.
For Maddison, the talent has never been in doubt. Over the past three years, he has sought to prove his complete professionalism and clearly England’s manager is totally convinced. That has combined to offer Maddison something deeply precious that the pressure of elite sport rarely provides: a free shot.
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