James Maddison names Tottenham duo he is ‘really proud of’ this season
Tottenham Hotspur’s injury crisis has allowed for two 18-year-olds to shine. After their most recent Europa League victory against Hoffenheim, James Maddison had nothing but praise for their contribution.
A step closer to Europa League qualification
Tottenham Hotspur returned to winning ways in their Europa League campaign with a 3-2 triumph against Hoffenheim on Thursday evening, a result that carried significant weight after a challenging period.
Goals from Heung-min Son, who netted a brace, and James Maddison were enough to seal victory, though the match itself was far from straightforward.
The match came at a time when Spurs were grappling with an injury crisis that has tested both the depth and resilience of Ange Postecoglou’s squad.
With 11 first-team players sidelined, the Tottenham bench was alarmingly youthful, featuring players whose combined experience at the highest level barely stretched into double digits.
Despite the adversity, the team showed remarkable grit, digging deep to produce a performance that, while scrappy at times, demonstrated determination and spirit.
James Maddison applauds Tottenham’s performance
Speaking to TNT Sports after the match, James Maddison was full of praise for his teammates, particularly the younger players who stepped up to the challenge.
Reflecting on the team’s situation and their performance, Maddison said: “Really proud, that is a good word to describe it.
“Obviously going through a bit of adversity at the minute—it is a tough moment for the team and the club, with shock results and the situation we are in at the moment.
“I am so proud of the boys tonight. A gritty performance that was not all perfect but had enough fight and spirit to see it through to the end.”
Maddison, who opened the scoring with a well-timed run and finish, highlighted the importance of understanding his teammates’ abilities. He explained: “It is a run I like to make.
“You have got to know your players as well—I know Pedro [Porro] is a very good long passer of the ball, and he often looks for that, so I know if I can get my timing right…
“They had a fairly high line early in the game, trying to be aggressive, so I thought if I can time my run well enough and hopefully have the quality to finish it off—and tonight I did. You do not always have it, but tonight my touch was alright, and the finish was half-decent, so I managed to get the opening goal.”
James Maddison praises Tottenham’s young stars
Speaking on the importance of the win and the performances of Archie Gray and Bergvall, he said: “So much like we have had a tough run of results and it’s tough and you lose a couple in a row and maybe a draw and you lose.
“Momentum is such a big thing in football, especially in the Premier League as well in Europe especially like tonight was always going to be a tough game the manager always says to us about how hard it is to win away in Europe.
“He always says to us look at the results – in the Champions league last night in the whole fixture list one team won away I think.
“So winning away at any point in Europe is massive and to score three goals, we have never really had a problem with scoring goals we’re quite good at that. I was really proud of the lads today, just how we dug in.”
On the youngsters: “Two 18-year-olds in Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall just churning out 90 minutes after 90 minutes because like I said the injury situation we’re in, which I don’t want to keep blabbing on about, but it is real at the minute, it is happening we do have about eleven fit senior players and they’re being asked to do so much.
“In the end there like Lucas chasing down the keeper in the 93rd minute when he’s dead on his feet, Archie winning duels in the bottom corner, stopping crosses coming in and we’re asking so much of them and I said to them both I’m just really proud of them and we’re asking so much.
“If the gaffer had it perfectly he will probably have embedded them in a little slower because of their age, but this is all a brilliant experience for them. I am really proud of them”
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