“Spurs’ bottler gene got to him,” “Idiot” – Fans react to comical James Maddison mistake during England warm-up
Fans online have reacted to James Maddison's viral video where he can be seen trying to drink from a water bottle in the wrong way.
England squared off against Australia in a friendly fixture on October 13 (Friday) at Wembley Stadium. The Three Lions managed to outplay the Socceroos with the help of a strike from Ollie Watkins, who was assisted by Jack Grealish in the 57th minute.
However, a video of James Maddison surfaced on the internet before the match even got underway. In the video, the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder is trying to drink water from a squeezy bottle. He looked puzzled as he was wondering why water was squirting out in front of him instead of into his mouth.
As soon as the video clip was shown on the Channel 4 broadcast, fans quickly came up with unique reactions to the post. Some made fun of the former Leicester City midfielder while a few just made jocular comments.
"Spurs’ bottler gene got to him," one user commented.
"Idiot," another user wrote under the social media post.
James Maddison started the game for England in the midfield alongside Jordan Henderson and Conor Gallagher. The Tottenham midfielder had a passing accuracy of 94 percent and he also won four duels against Australia on Friday. Whatever his troubles with the water bottle, he got the job done.
James Maddison talks about the position England boss Gareth Southgate wants him to play
Tottenham Hotspur midfielder James Maddison has stated that England boss Gareth Southgate wanted him to play as an attacking midfielder against Australia on Friday.
The 26-year-old said that according to the England boss, he can perform best as a number 10. A number 10 is normally seen as the primary playmaker of the team, who also helps as a bridge between the midfield and the attack. Maddison said (via GOAL):
“He thinks that’s probably where [number 10] I operate best. Even when I play on the left, I still have the freedom to play in central areas."
"It was nice to be in there. The actual midfield players of Australia were hard working and really stuck to their task and it made it difficult to find the spaces."
Maddison also praised the fans for their support at Wembley. The 26-year-old has played nine matches across different competitions for the Lilywhites and has already recorded two goals and five assists.
After the International break ends, Tottenham will host Fulham on 24 October (Tuesday). However, before that, England will be facing Italy in the UEFA Euro qualifier on October 18 (Wednesday).