Leicester defeated Nottingham Forest 4-0 at the King Power Stadium, with James Maddison being the star of the show after scoring two goals and assisting on another. The performance lifted his team out of last place and brought his World Cup prospects back to the forefront of consideration.
With nine goals in his previous 11 Premier League games, Maddison believes he is in the finest shape of his career. Brendan Rodgers, his manager, supports his selection as he seeks to increase the one England cap he already has.
Leicester's subpar performance may have concealed the reality that Maddison is currently thriving. This outcome—on Monday Night Football—restores the spotlight to his undeniable talent. But is there still time for him to join the World Cup roster after being ignored by Gareth Southgate for so long?
Southgate has never inquired about Maddison, according to Rodgers, who nevertheless was unequivocal about the playmaker's caliber in his postgame interviews with Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher, and David Jones.
Rodgers added, "You know what it's like Gary being in there with the quality that's available. It's an extremely difficult job being a manager.
"It is really unfortunate, both for the nation and the boy, in my opinion. You can clearly observe his talent and performance over the past 18 months. Only Harry Kane, in my opinion, has contributed to more goals scored by English players.
"Not even being on the roster, and I believe having a player of that caliber, even if he is not going to start, is important. In addition, international football relies on players with the creativity to seize the initiative and alter the course of the game.
"All of that describes James. He is an outstanding player, and I sincerely hope that over the coming months, he can maintain the form he has displayed for the past 18 months and find a way to join the team. He is an outstanding player in my opinion if you want creativity, personality, defensive improvement, and the ability to play in a variety of positions.
"He is up there, and I adore Mason Mount, Phil Foden, and the other players. In that he comes from the side more, Jack Grealish is unique. But Madders can perform admirably in a variety of roles. That was evident tonight."
Madison: "I would make a difference"
On Monday Night Football, Maddison spoke about his chances for playing for England while noting the disparity between the team's performance this season and his own.
He stated: "To be honest, it's been a strange situation because we've been last in the league and things haven't gone our way, but I've been almost as confident as I've ever been in my career.
I can't think of a time when I played or felt better than I have in the past 12 months.
He must be miffed about not making the England team, then.
"It is challenging to respond because you want to say the correct thing and avoid making a mistake, but that is my objective and my goal. I enjoy watching international football because I am a football fan. I would love to get the chance to play at that level because I know I could make an impact there."
His continued exclusion from the squad may be due to the lack of a natural position for him under Southgate's organizational scheme. Does that position exist with England? Maddison performs best when he is floating between the lines, either as a No 10 or drifting in from the flanks.
I am not naive; I am aware that there are elite players in the forward positions, but Maddison expressed self-belief and confidence in her ability to fit into that group.
"I could play any of those forward positions depending on the role and position. People who can play in those central positions, like Phil Foden and Jack Grealish, like to play a little wider.
"Because I played on the right today, it is difficult for me to remark on how England uses their back three. Since I haven't been in the setup in a while, I would have to pay attention to the coaches, but since I'm not now in that situation, it's difficult to discuss.
"I'll keep working hard, but I have to approach things with the idea that I can force my way in because those players at the major clubs are there right now and they are elite athletes, but I believe there may be room for me. So I'll keep putting in the effort and giving performances like the one I gave tonight, and we'll see where it gets me."
Why wouldn't he be in, in Neville's opinion? "Right now, everyone wants England to be more forward-thinking, to score more goals, and to have a side with more aggressive players. In terms of his involvement with the cause, this is the person who is currently tearing it up.
"Players who can deliver from set pieces and score from them are typically needed for England. Although there are a few players in his position, Gareth Southgate has placed a lot of emphasis on that over the previous four or five years.
"players in those regions include Mason Mount, Jack Grealish, and Phil Foden. But given his statistics, why wouldn't he be on a squad of 26? I am aware that it is uncomfortable to ask if he would make a good traveler, yet it has been proposed. I'm not sure how it got here. From my perspective, that is untrue. Nothing except a good character and personality have I encountered.
"It's constantly ready to come out and respond to inquiries. What would prevent him from being there? He isn't replacing Jadon Sancho or Bukayo Saka, in my opinion, because they are wide players. He belongs in the same class as Mount, in my opinion.
