Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou 'overjoyed' at James Maddison impact

Richarlison celebrates with James Maddison after the midfielder's goal for Tottenham against Bournemouth in August 2023.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou says he is 'overjoyed' at the impact made by James Maddison since he signed from Leicester earlier this summer and believes there is 'more to come' from the midfielder.

Maddison, a £40 million signing from the Foxes, wore a protective boot after picking up a minor injury in last weekend's 2-0 win over Manchester United at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and was restricted during the week.

But the 26-year-old was back with a bang as he netted his first goal for the north London club in their 2-0 victory at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday.

The England midfielder timed his run to perfection and diverted a Pape Matar Sarr through ball past Bournemouth goalkeeper Neto to set Spurs on their way to a 2-0 win and Postecoglou hailed his player after the match.

"There wasn't anyone happier than me when we got him," the Australian said after the match. "I was delighted. I wouldn’t say I'm surprised, but I'm overjoyed at the footballer I've got. The way he’s embraced the whole club, where he's at in his life. He really wants to be the person.

"He's that creative force for us. He works hard, wins the ball back, presses. He's had a disrupted week. He only had one session with us, but for him to put on a performance like that is credit to him. And I think there's more to come, when he gets more understanding with our forward players and they get more understanding with him."

And he added: "We're trying to give him and the other creative players as much as the ball as possible for them to do the stuff that they love to do. I think the way [we play] definitely suits him."

More Tottenham stories

In FourFourTwo's Season Preview, we look at why Tottenham fans can be excited again for the future.

Spurs have been linked with a move for Chelsea misfit Romelu Lukaku this summer as a replacement for Harry Kane. Tottenham are also reportedly interested in 'the next Thierry Henry' to fill the gap left by their all-time record goalscorer, while Djed Spence has been linked with an exit this summer after making just four appearances since signing last summer.

Ben Hayward
Weekend editor

Ben Hayward is a European football writer and Tottenham Hotspur fan with over 15 years’ experience, he has covered games all over the world - including three World Cups, several Champions League finals, Euros, Copa America - and has spent much of that time in Spain. Ben speaks English and Spanish, currently dividing his time between Barcelona and London, covering all the big talking points of the weekend on FFT: he’s also written several list features and interviewed Guglielmo Vicario for the magazine.