James Maddison in a heartfelt interview has expressed deep emotions about leaving Leicester City on the back of their relegation from the Premier League, News About Nigeria reports.
The 26-year-old midfielder completed his move to Tottenham earlier in the summer after spending five fruitful seasons with the Foxes.
During his time at Leicester, Maddison proved to be an immense asset, making significant contributions to the team’s successes, including their FA Cup triumph in 2021 and their appearances in the Europa League and Europa Conference League.
However, the final season took an unfortunate turn, with the team unable to avoid relegation.
In a conversation with talkSPORT at the TNT Sports launch, Maddison spoke about the impact of the relegation on him personally.
He said, “I was there for five years, built up such a brilliant relationship with everyone at the club, the fans, the owner, the staff. It didn’t end how I wanted it to, I didn’t want it to end on that sour note. I think that will probably have scarred me forever to be honest.”
The England international acknowledged that leaving the club after their relegation was a tough pill to swallow, especially considering his strong attachment to Leicester. He expressed disappointment in not being able to end his time with the Foxes on a high note.
Maddison also expressed empathy for his former teammates, saying, “Just because I think so highly of the club, it’s almost like a bit of a pride hit for us players as being the players who took Leicester back to the Championship, which isn’t nice.”
Despite the emotional departure, Maddison is determined to move forward in his career at Tottenham.
He considers it a new journey and remains optimistic about his future with his new club. He wished Leicester well and hoped for their swift return to the Premier League.
He concluded, “Tottenham’s my club now, blinkers on, onwards and upwards.”