Maddison: I'll Be Ready In Qatar
- Leicester City and England midfielder James Maddison has spoken ahead of the FIFA World Cup
- The Foxes star described his emotionally-charged reaction to his selection in the squad
- He revealed that he spent the evening with his parents after hearing the news
- Maddison says he'll be ready to take his chance when involved on the pitch in Qatar
Speaking at England's base, a short drive from Doha city centre, Leicester City's No.10 addressed the travelling press pack five days before the Three Lions' Group B opener against Iran at Khalifa International Stadium on Monday.
Not included in any of Gareth Southgate's squads since 2019, when he made his debut as a substitute in a 7-0 win over Montenegro at Wembley, the Coventry-born midfielder has had to be patient.
Often at the top of stats charts for creative English players, the Foxes star's inclusion in the 2022 squad was by no means a certainty. His club form, though, has been magnificent, with 18 goals last season earning him City's Player of the Season prize – before netting another seven times this term.
Maddison discovered he'd be in the England squad last Thursday, before scoring again in a win at West Ham, and the 25-year-old says his first instinct was to call his parents and share the good news.
"My dad actually cried," he told the press pack in Qatar. "My dad’s not a crier, I don’t think I’ve seen my dad cry for years. They were happy tears of course. Your family and your parents are on this journey with you.
"When you feel, in previous years, I’ve been left out of squads when I thought I had a chance, the disappointment of that is spread across the family because your family want what’s best for you. On the opposite end of the scale, the happiness comes for them at times like this as well.
"On the day of the announcement, after training, I actually wanted to go and see them so I went back to Coventry and had dinner with my mum and dad and my little boy and my partner. I wanted to see them because that’s a moment that I’ll cherish forever.
"The actual phone call was a bit of a blur, I couldn’t tell you what Gareth said. It was all very heart-in-mouth, but I wanted to see them, give my mum a big hug. It was a special day for all of us and one I’ll definitely never forget."
Maddison also offered an insight into that day at LCFC Training Ground in Seagrave, when the call finally came. He described the feeling after speaking to Southgate as a 'a head-on-the-wall moment' as the realisation began to sink in.
"I was literally in Brendan [Rodgers’] office, having a chat with him about stuff and about the day and he asked me if I’d heard anything," Maddison added.
"I hadn’t at that point. He was just being a good man manager and putting his arm around me if I didn’t get the call and [was talking] about how it would look and to stay motivated for Saturday’s game [at West Ham].
"I went back down to the changing room after and I had a missed call from Gareth Southgate, so the heart starts beating! I had his number saved still. I went up and called him back and he gave me the good news. It was all a little bit of a blur.
"After the call finished and he told me that I was in, it was a head-on-the-wall moment, a deep breath, and then I called my parents like I say."
All England fans can point to World Cup moments – like David Beckham's penalty against Argentina in 2002, or the shootout victory over Colombia in 2018 – which evoke lifelong memories. The opportunity to be involved in writing another chapter in English football is one which excites Maddison immensely.
"They’re the moments that you literally dream of," he explained. "They’re the moments that, if they go perfectly, get replayed for years and years and go down in history. To get one like that would be absolutely unbelievable. That would be a real pinnacle and a real dream.
"Every moment is a 'pinch-me' moment at the moment. It might sound a little cliché but just getting on the plane and then getting off the plane, seeing the reception we got from the locals... just every moment, like turning up the complex and doing the media stuff. It's all a bit surreal.
"It's my first major tournament. I'm just trying to take it all in. I've got to be ready when called upon.
"I feel like I'm in good form, I'm in good goalscoring form. We've got such a brilliant squad that you might only get one moment, that one chance, to go and show what you can do and be the man to help the team. I'll be ready when that opportunity comes."
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