Ange Postecoglou believes James Maddison has the talent to become a vital cog for England, especially now that he has shown he is more than capable of handling the pressure that comes with playing for a club like Tottenham.
Maddison has been one of the most productive playmakers in the Premier League over the last few years, even though he was playing for a misfiring Leicester City side.
However, despite that, he only has four England caps to his name, which is also a reflection of the quality of attacking players he is competing against for a place in the side.
The 26-year-old has arguably been the best player across the Premier League so far this season, having established himself as an indispensable part of the current Spurs side, who are now sitting at the top of the table.
Postecoglou insisted that one of the motivations behind Maddison’s move to Spurs in the summer was to show Gareth Southgate he has more layers to his game.
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When asked if the Tottenham midfielder could become a vital part of the Three Lions outfit, the Australian told Football.London: “There’s no reason why not. National teams are a bit funny because club form isn’t always the greatest indicator of having a great international career.
“There’s so many other things that need to fall into line. Sometimes it’s about circumstance, opportunity, who else is in that position, how much you get to play, the kind of football.
“There’s so many things that need to fall into place but Madders has the ability to play and excel at the international level. I’ve got no doubt about that.
“I think one of the reasons he came to Tottenham was to show people that he’s got more layers to his game and I think he’s showing that. Hopefully, that transfers to him making an impact for England.”
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The question for Southgate is whether he can accommodate both Maddison and Bellingham in the middle of the park in a 4-3-3. The England boss could decide to go with a back five in order to allow both of them the freedom to make runs into the box.
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