James Maddison says he has "so much more to give" Tottenham after he marked his first start in nearly 18 months with a stunning goal that helped Spurs to their first Premier League win of the season. The playmaker was influential in the 3-1 victory over Coventry in north London, opening the scoring with a curling strike from range to set Roberto De Zerbi's side on their way to a much-needed win which moves them off the foot of the table. The 29-year-old, who has two years to run on his Spurs contract, first came back toward the end of last season after recovering from his ACL injury but has faced numerous setbacks that have delayed his full return until now.
"I have so much more to give for this club," Maddison told Sky Sports. "I'm 29 and I still have plenty of years left. I have self-belief and plenty of qualities that can help us in this league." Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Spurs spent £334m on new signings in the summer after narrowly avoiding relegation from the Premier League but they have struggled to have the desired impact.
Maddison wanted to show that he was the missing piece of the puzzle when given his chance. Asked if he thought he could make this type of impact, Maddison added: "I hoped. I spoke to the gaffer [Roberto De Zerbi] about this week and feeling like it was the right moment for me to go back into the starting XI after a stop-start start to the season.
"I just wanted to play well and to show my qualities and what the team has missed in the last 18 months since my last start. The gaffer asked me to play and wanted to enjoy watching me from the side, so hopefully I did that. A goal like that is always nice." Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher backed Maddison to have a big impact on Spurs' season when asked if he can be the glue that links the team together.
"I think he is seen as that type of player," said Carragher. "He's naturally one of those people in the game who is always laughing and joking, trying to lift people around the dressing room. I think he will have a big impact.
He's captained the club in the past. "Even though they've brought in a lot of attacking talent, he will still think no one's better than him because he's that type of character. He has that football arrogance that I like in players.
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