James Maddison opens up on ‘dark days’ and jokes why family and friends are angry at Spurs goal

James Maddison put over a year’s worth of ‘dark days’ behind him with a dream return to Tottenham’s starting line-up. Spurs’ 3-1 win over Coventry City on Monday marked the first time Maddison had started a competitive match since May 2025, when he picked up a knee injury in a 3-1 win over Bodo/Glimt. A torn ACL prior to the 2025/26 campaign meant Maddison had to watch Spurs’ flirtation with relegation from the sidelines, although he did feature in their final three league fixtures. But having come off the bench for Spurs five times already this season, manager Roberto De Zerbi believed Maddison was ready to step back into the starting line-up. It was a decision that paid dividends after just 14 minutes as Maddison curled a stunning first-time effort from outside the box past a sprawling Carl Rushworth to open the scoring. Maddison couldn’t wipe the smile off his face as his teammates raced over to celebrate the goal. Although Jack Rudoni equalised for Coventry shortly after half-time, Omar Marmoush restored Spurs’ advantage in the 58th minute before Ben Davies put the result beyond doubt in stoppage time. James Maddison reacts to first Spurs start since May 2025 It was the perfect return for Maddison, although it came at somewhat of a personal cost given he scored against his hometown club. “I’ve never doubted my quality, I just want to be available,” Maddison told talkSPORT. “My main focus has been on being fit and available. “It’s been a tough 18 months for me, I think it’s been nearly 18 months since my last start. That was a special feeling for me today, being out there from the start. There’s been some dark days in there. “I had all my family and all my friends, who are from Coventry, where I grew up, here today. That was a special moment for me. “There will be a few angry with me up in the box when I go and see them after, but it was all worth it.” How important was the win for Spurs? For Spurs, Monday’s victory ensured they were no longer the only club across English football’s top five divisions without a win. More importantly, it lifted them off the foot of the ladder and up into 16th. With the added benefit of the win coming at home, a place Spurs have notoriously struggled since the start of the 2024/25 season, Maddison hoped it would prove to be a ‘good starting block’ to properly launch their campaign. “Coventry are a good side,” Maddison said. “They played really well today. I said to Frank Lampard after the game, ‘The side was tough to play against’. “Sometimes everyone thinks that you’re at home against a newly promoted side and it’s going to be a walk in the park. But they can sometimes be the toughest games, so you do have to be resilient. Especially after they got a goal back and we had to go again to find it from somewhere, the momentum to get another goal. “A lot of positives to take. We haven’t won enough football matches here, that’s clear and that’s something we have to improve on if we want to be at the other end of the table. Hopefully that’s a good starting block.” Maddison and Spurs will look to maintain the momentum when they face bitter rivals Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, with kick-off set for 5:30pm.