5 England players with a point to prove after the international break

#3 James Maddison

What more does James Maddison have to do to gain an England cap?

Much was made of James Maddison being left out of England’s squad for the summer’s UEFA Nations League finals after he enjoyed a breakout season with Leicester City, a season that saw him create more big chances in the Premier League than any other player, including the likes of Eden Hazard and Bernardo Silva.

The word at the time was that Southgate wanted him to participate in the U-21 European Championships instead, and so after a bright start to 2019/20, it was no surprise to see him gain his second senior call-up for the games against Bulgaria and Kosovo. Unfortunately, a squad place was the best Maddison would get, as he was not involved in either game, even as a substitute.

Instead, Chelsea’s Ross Barkley was selected as England’s playmaker for both games, while his young club teammate Mason Mount made two appearances from the bench. Quite what Maddison needs to do to find himself properly on Southgate’s radar is a massive question mark right now given his club form was excellent leading into those games.

Obviously, the only way for him to force the issue will be to continue to play well for Leicester; if he keeps making chances and creating and scoring goals, surely Southgate can’t ignore him in the future.

A strong showing against Manchester United – a club who would be a major scalp for Leicester – this weekend would go some way to proving a point to the Three Lions boss.