Maddison Signs For Leicester City On A Five-Year Deal
- Leicester City agree the transfer of James Maddison from Norwich City
- The 21-year-old signs a five-year contract for an undisclosed fee
- The creative midfielder scored 15 goals and registered eight assists last season for Norwich City
- Maddison made his England Under-21 debut against Ukraine in November
The 21-year-old has signed a five-year contract at King Power Stadium and becomes the Foxes’ third summer signing after the arrival of Portuguese full-back Ricardo Pereira and Northern Ireland international defender Jonny Evans.
Maddison joins Leicester City after a successful 2017/18 campaign at Norwich City in which he scored 15 goals and was included in the PFA’s Championship Team of the Year having created more chances than any other player in the division.
The England Under-21 international, who plays in attacking midfield, made his professional debut in 2014 and has established a reputation as a creative presence with an eye for goal.
Speaking to LCFC TV, Maddison said: "I’m delighted. I’m really happy to be here. I had a good chat with the manager about football and how he wants me to play, how he likes to play and I was sold. We talked about the type of player I am, how I’m going to fit into his style of play and everything sounded really promising. I haven’t looked back since that phone call.
"Leicester just seems like the right fit for me. I’ve got a good feel about the Club and I can’t ignore that, in my head and my heart. I felt like this was the right place for me to be, so I’m delighted and can’t wait to get started.”
Leicester City manager Claude Puel said: "James is a wonderful player who is one of the most exciting young talents in English football. He made a big contribution to Norwich City last season and I’m delighted that he has decided to make the step up to the Premier League with Leicester City Football Club.
Maddison's Message For The Blue Army
James Maddison had a message for Leicester City's supporters after joining the Club this week.
"He’s a young player who can create things in the attacking third and will give us even more possibilities in the squad. Of course, he has good ability and also good potential to develop even more, which is exciting for the team and for the supporters."
Born in Coventry, Maddison started his career with the Sky Blues as an Academy graduate, making his debut in 2014 in a League Cup defeat to Cardiff City.
His importance at Coventry City grew throughout the 2014/15 season as the club finished 17th. The attacking midfielder wore the no.10 shirt during the 2015/16 campaign, scoring two goals for the club before signing for Norwich City in February and returning to Coventry on loan for the remainder of the season.
Maddison joined Norwich City on a three-and-a-half-year contract in February 2016 but did not make his debut until a year later after loan spells at Coventry City and Aberdeen.
During his half-season spell at Aberdeen, the attacking midfielder played 17 times for The Dons in all competitions.
Perhaps his finest moment for the club came when Maddison scored a spectacular long range free kick in the final minute to secure a 2-1 victory over Rangers at the Pittodrie Stadium. After returning to Norwich in January 2017 and scoring on his debut in a 3-1 defeat to Preston North End, Maddison played an important role throughout the rest of the season as the Canaries finished eighth in the Championship.
Maddison: I'm Delighted To Be Here
New Leicester City signing James Maddison speaks to LCFC TV after completing his transfer this week.
The midfielder’s most influential season to date came in 2017/18 in which the Englishman scored 15 goals and registered eight assists.
Maddison received his first call up to the England Under-21 squad last year and made his debut against Ukraine in November.
The attacking midfielder becomes one of seven members of Claude Puel’s squad who currently represent England at senior or youth level after Jamie Vardy, Harry Maguire, Demarai Gray, Ben Chilwell, Hamza Choudhury and Harvey Barnes.
The young midfielder will link up with his new Leicester City team-mates at the beginning of July to begin preparations for the 2018/19 Premier League season.