Opinion: James Maddison is the answer to England's endless natural playmaker search
James Maddison was among the youngsters to receive their first call-ups to the England national team, alongside Jadon Sancho, Nathaniel Chalobah, and Mason Mount recently.
The 21 year old might be on course to solve England's long term problem of not having an established playmaker in the middle of the park. It can be argued that The Three lions have lacked a naturally creative player, someone who keeps possession, and changes the point of the attack. It was so prevalent at the World Cup earlier this year.
Over time, Frank Lampard looked to be that player who could occasionally attempt the creative passes and provide a direct threat from midfield, but he lacked the natural ability to take on players and dribble past the defensive midfield.
Adam Lallana and Jack Wilshere looked the closest to that kind of player, but unfortunately their potential cannot be fully realised due to a bad injury record. It can only make sense for England to start looking for future talents who might be capable of solving that problem.
Ruben Loftus Cheek, Jadon Sancho, Mason Mount, Phil Foden, and James Maddison are the ones to suggest that the future of England looks bright in that sector, although it is the latter who looks ready and more natural at this point in time.
Style of play
James Maddison made his move to Leicester at the beginning of the season, and he has since developed into one of the most exciting young prospects in the league. The 21-year-old made a total of 44 appearances for Norwich City last season in the championship, scoring 14 times and providing 8 assists.
Maddison spent all his teenage years in the lower divisions of English football just like Dele Alli, proving once again that there is no better learning experience for English teenagers than playing in Ligue 1 or the championship.
There they can get game time, and learn the competitive approach to the game, as opposed to the Premier League where clubs opt to go for the 'more ready talent' in the transfer market, rather than promoting young talents.
Maddison's style of play is important for any creative player. The 21-year-old is an incisive number 10 who can glide past markers with quick dribbling, and he also has the ability to score from outside the box.
He is also a great free-kick taker. The departure of Mahrez at The King Power has provided him the opportunity to become the key link between the midfield and attack, as well as become instrumental in the build-up play.
His 3 goals and 2 assists in only 8 appearances this season while also attempting 2.1 shots per game shows the kind offensive contributions he can really offer to a team.
Maddison's passing in the final third should also not be underestimated. The young playmaker has already created 15 goal scoring opportunities for Leicester this season, more than any other English player in the league.
Being the main creative player in the current Leicester squad, he has taken the responsibilities of pulling the strings in the final third really well, providing an average of 1.9 key passes per 90 minutes.
His passing accuracy of 84.1 percent so far this season is also pretty brilliant for a creative player who always tries to break the lines with risky passes. Maddison always tries to unlock tight spaces with his brilliant final balls.
Another exciting attribute in Maddison's game is his great close control and the ability to conduct or protect the ball under pressure. The 21-year-old like most playmakers is very good in tight spaces, and he also has great ball retention ability.
He is a confident player who always demands the ball from his teammates, and tries to create something while also supporting the team when it comes to pressing the ball once possession is lost. He has won an average of 1.3 tackles per game so far this season, despite mostly operating in the final third.
Weaknesses
Like most youngsters, Maddison also has some weaknesses which can be improved with time. His positional awareness might be a concern at times, as he often comes far too deep to receive the ball, therefore destroying the connection between the midfield and attack.
With experience, he can get the awareness to drop deep as well as have the concentration to engage opposing midfielders in order to create spaces for his teammates.
His pace and aerial ability can also be a concern, although his technical ability compliments for his lack of pace most of the time.
Conclusion
James Maddison has made tremendous progress in the last two seasons, and if he continues developing like this, there is no doubt Leicester would have pulled a coup by beating several clubs to his signature. The 21-year-old has all the tools required to end England's long search for a natural and technically gifted playmaker.