In Focus: Maddison making the most of star role at Spurs

James Maddison has had a bright start to life at Tottenham as he tries to fill the void left by Harry Kane.

The England international scored his first goal for the club in the 2-0 win against Bournemouth last weekend and will need to continue taking up the mantle from Spurs' record goalscorer.

Ahead of their trip to Burnley on Saturday, we turn the spotlight on Tottenham's new No10.

A natural leader

Maddison may have arrived only a few months ago but the 26-year-old has already been handed huge responsibility by head coach Ange Postecoglou.

The three-cap international has been made vice-captain alongside Cristian Romero, while Heung-Min Son has been given the honour of taking the armband from the outgoing Hugo Lloris.

And Maddison is already demonstrating his leadership on the pitch, guiding Spurs to two wins and a draw in their opening three Premier League matches.

He has bagged a goal and two assists in that time and made a big impact when he came off the bench in the Carabao Cup defeat to Fulham on Tuesday night.

The former Leicester midfielder now has the task of picking his team-mates up from their disappointing performance at Craven Cottage as they prepare for another tough fixture on the road.

Mad for Madders

Son, 31, has heaped praise on Maddison.

After his masterclass against Bournemouth, the South Korean said: "When we are talking about Madders we could stay here all day, a really good player. 

"For a couple of years we needed this kind of player to create chances and make passes, which is very important. 

"Playing with him is a joy. Hopefully he can score and assist many goals.

"I'm very happy for him that he scored his first goal for the club, I hope there are many more to come for him. He totally deserves it. He always plays thinking of the team and not for the individual."

The perfect marksman 

Maddison had been linked to Tottenham for a number of years and many pundits tipped him to be the perfect replacement for Christian Eriksen, who left in 2020.

And so far the 2021 FA Cup winner has justified his £40million price tag, ranking among the best when it comes to his attacking output.

The Coventry-born magician has already created nine chances for his team-mates and has registered eight shots on goal, ranking in the top 25 for both stats.

Furthermore, Maddison ranks in the top 10 for final third passes completed (10) and through balls attempted (three) while only two players have attempted more crosses.

The key to success

No Spurs player has had more shots, created more chances or played more passes into the box than Maddison this season and the new arrival is determined to take the club forward. 

He said: "It's tough if you're asking me to try and get 30 goals, it's a collective. You can't even look to replace what Harry Kane gives you. 

"You've got to all chip in and look to try and score the same amount of goals from different areas."

Kane may have departed, but Spurs have a new hero in Maddison and he will be the key in helping the club progress under their new head coach.