James Maddison - The Football Interview

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1:17And each week again this season, I'll be sitting down with some of the biggest names in the game to talk about their life on and off the pitch. And first up this week, I've come down to the Spurs training ground to speak to James Madison, who's had quite the 12 months. Well, James, often when I say to players, what a year, but for you in particular, it's been a real year, hasn't it? It's been a tricky 12 months. Probably the toughest year I've had in my career in terms of obviously the injury and then just the position we found ourselves in last season. So a year I'll definitely not forget, but one that I wanted to forget quite quickly in a way.

1:53But listen, you have ups and downs in your career. That's just natural. That was just one of the down years for me in terms of personally and the team was obviously nowhere near good enough. The flip side of that is it can only really go up from last season and there's excitement in the building with the new manager and new players and stuff and even feel it amongst the supporters. So hoping for a better 12 months than the previous, yeah. When I was coming here, I was thinking, what can I talk to him about? Shall I talk to him about the tricky times at Spurs? Shall I talk to him about the dark times with the injury?

2:20But also during that 12 months, you had your second set of twins. It's been eventful, I think it's safe to say. and there has been that positive, I imagine, to get you through it. Yeah, I needed that almost positive distraction of my partner being pregnant and almost having to be there for her and forget about myself even though I was going through a traumatic experience through my knee, which probably distracted me in a good way. Were you able to be a bit more present for them as well? Oh, definitely, yeah. Every weekend at home, you know, it was too present, if you like. I mean, they were driving me up the wall.

2:52Don't let your girlfriend hit you, say. No, no, no, no, no, no, obviously I love my children more than anything in the world and having Frankie and Jenson, my second set of twins, of course it created absolute manic at home. Second set of twins? Yeah, I don't know, you can Google the odds of that, I don't know. I think it's one in 25 ,000. Some would say lucky, unlucky, who knows. We're very blessed because they're all healthy, they're all amazing. and they're going to have such a good bond growing up. But I think it's fair to say me and my partner are in the trenches at the minute, yeah, in terms of life at home.

3:24Just to clarify for people that don't know, you've got five kids under the age of... Yeah, we had five kids under four, yeah. Well, four was the oldest, yeah. So a lot of nappies flying about, a lot of accidents at home, but it'll all be worth it. We still love it. I wouldn't change it for the world, so... And I imagine it has given you a real sense of purpose. I also heard you say what your son said to you at one point when you were injured last year about the fact that you used to play for Spurs. Kids sometimes tell you things, don't they, that bring you back round to reality and stuff. They're brutally honest and they don't have a clue what's going on outside of just the joy of life, the politics that come with life as an adult.

4:08I missed a year of football and a year in a children's life from three and a half to four and a half is obviously massive. He doesn't remember you. He couldn't even remember like over a year ago when he was at all the games, you know, and obviously he's getting to that age, my eldest, where like he's starting to figure stuff out and he's like clever now, he's just turned five actually the other day. So, yeah, it would be nice for him to come to the games again and actually remember dad playing instead of just dad's at home watching with a machine on his knee. Well, I'm glad I got you smiling. That's why I started talking about the kids, because you did mention that it's probably been the toughest 12 months of your life.

4:43Yeah, definitely. Yeah, easily. What was the toughest moment? It was just the reality of realising what had happened. Obviously I knew I had a big injury. Actually it stems back to the, we played Frankfurt in the Europa League quarter-final. I made a run in behind and the keeper absolutely clattered me in the face. So I almost had like a little bit of concussion almost. But he also went into my hip and my knee almost got stuck underneath me. So I had pain like everywhere almost right. But my knee was the one that long term, that was where I had a problem with my knee. Is that where it started?

5:16That's where it started, yeah. That's where I had a problem with the ACL. But obviously it wasn't a full rupture, basically. I did that in Korea in the pre-season. And it was just the reality of that, just coming to terms with the fact that I'd missed the whole season. Off the back of winning the Europa League, we had a Champions League season to look forward to. We had a new manager. It was a World Cup year for England. There was so much to be happy and motivated about. and as soon as you know you've got that injury and you're out for the season, you know that's all kind of taken away from you.

5:42So just coming to terms with that. How did you come to terms with it? I don't think I did, really. I mean, you just have to grit your teeth and get through it. Footballers always say that, but how do you? Because you must have lent on someone, there must have been something. Yeah, my partner, my parents, my children. You just, not just in football with injuries, just with any person, any setback in life. How do you get through it? Sometimes you don't have the answer to tell. You know what I mean? You just do. You just like, you get by, don't you? You know what I mean? It's like for anyone listening who's not even anything to do with sport or football.

6:13In the toughest times in your own personal life, how do you get through it? You just do, don't you? Your family get you through it. You have to grit your teeth and get back to the good times. And sometimes they don't feel like they're so close, you know. But you always manage to get there if you've got the will and the determination, which is something I've never lacked. I also liked the YouTube videos that you did. What did that do for you and why did you choose to document it in that way? Oh, no one had really done it. I just wanted to almost show the Tottenham fans what pre-season tour was like initially.

6:44Pre-season's a good time to do it because we're preparing for the season. It's not like the nitty gritty. So I took the little camera. Me, Brennan Johnson and Archie Gray are so close that we were just messing around with it really. Archie's so young, he keeps me young. You know, he's in touch with all the YouTube stuff and I'm actually, even though I've got my channel, I'm quite out of touch with that these days. I'm one of the old, one of the old guard in the changing room. You're only 29, aren't you? Yeah, but in our change room, you look around. I'm glad Robbo's next to me now because he's got a few years on him.

7:10But obviously, I didn't know how the tour was going to finish with a big injury. And then it kind of just led me down that path. And I thought someone at my agency said, why don't you document the rehab and show people what it's actually like? And I just thought that'd be a good idea. We got great feedback, so I just rolled with it. It looked like it gave you a bit of focus. We also saw you looking quite emotional at times. It was very real. Yeah, well, if I was going to do it, I wanted to do it properly. There was nothing fabricated in that at all. When you get told you're going to have a year out of football, especially at the age of 28, going on 29, you're coming into your peak.

7:42To miss 12 months is hard to take, so I was emotional and I didn't think there was anything wrong with showing that. Can I also ask you about in the changing room immediately after you did the injury, I imagine you knew the severity of it because of the pain and everything at the time, but a couple of your teammates were particularly there for you? Yeah, it's all a bit blurry. but I was very emotional. I knew what had happened because I knew from the Frankfurt and the Bodo games that I had a problem with the ACL. Did you know that going into pre-season? Did you kind of have that in the back of your mind that maybe it wasn't okay?

8:13Well, we did a lot of rehab over the off-season and we were recommended by the specialist that it would be okay, really. When you have a partial tear of your ACL, it can be okay or sometimes it's not quite strong enough and then you end up needing the surgery. And I was just one of the unlucky ones. So missing a season is always tough, But is it easier to miss a season when your team are struggling like Spurs were last year? Or would it have been harder if you were missing out on good times? Both are pretty heartbreaking, you know? Because when you're doing well, you want to be a part of it. But that's probably better because you still see your friends being happy and the team being together.

8:49And that's easier to take, I think, than when the team's struggling because you just desperately want to help, you know? Especially like last season, we struggled for goals. We probably struggled a little bit for creativity and stuff. and I'm watching the games thinking like, what would I be doing there? I'd be doing that, I'd be doing that. So it's tough because the team's struggling, the morale's down. You were still around the place, weren't you, though? Because it seemed like the manager and people wanted to keep you involved and particularly we saw at the end of the season under Roberto. Yeah, when Roberto come in, one of the first things he said to me was, I'm going to put you on the bench at the weekend.

9:17And I was almost like, I'm not ready to play yet, boss. Like, not even close, really. I need a good, another month, really, till I'm... And even that, I was pushing every day to try and help the team because we were in such a delicate situation. But he said, no, no, he said I can come on the bench in my slippers if I want. He just wanted me around the group and he thought that would benefit the group. And yeah, I took that as a massive compliment and just acted as if I was part of the bench, part of the team. I'm not saying that's the reason why, but we managed to steer clear of the danger, which was a good feeling.

9:43You were quite strong in your comments towards the end of the season about how Spurs' campaign had gone and how it was unacceptable for a club of Spurs' stature. As someone that was kind of a little bit more on the outside than usual last year, why do you think it did pan out the way it did? We just weren't good enough on the pitch, you know, because we hadn't picked up enough points. It's pretty simple, isn't it? When you're in a relegation battle, it's because you haven't picked up enough points. And why is that? We just didn't perform well enough, you know. That's why it was tough to watch on the outside, because you want to help.

10:11You want to help the team. You want to help the club. You want to help the fans. You want to take some responsibility, but obviously I couldn't at that point. So, yeah, just a bit of that. Not quite good enough. And I think it's good that the gaffer come in and everyone's kind of took a bit of responsibility. and it feels like there was accountability being taken for what wasn't good enough and making sure that doesn't happen again. What did the manager change or what has he changed? Because it looked like he had a pretty instant impact. He's just a really passionate guy. He's very clever, he's very tactical.

10:42He obviously loves, he's obsessed with football, you can see that, but to be honest, when he first came in, in comparison to pre-season, what we're training now, he didn't want to make it too complicated. He just wanted us to get the love back for playing football and feeling football and being together. I know a lot of managers tried, but we went straight for a team meal. The minute he come in, he said, right, everyone, we're all going to be drinking alcohol. We're all going to be having a good night. He says, because I need you to, not getting out of hand and stupid, but he wanted us to have a night where we all just like...

11:09Relax a bit as well. Relax, and he's not bothered if we have a few beers and stuff. And we all sat in Mayfair somewhere, literally just come in. He was going around, he was chatting to everyone. And, you know, it's like when you've had a couple of drinks as well. Everyone's a bit more loose and everyone's getting to know each other. But genuinely, that feeling that we got made everyone feel more knitted together straight away as soon as he come in. And then obviously he's a very good manager. He's very tactical. So the little tweaks that we did, the win at Villa, the win on the last day of the season, we owe the gaffer a lot.

11:35Why will this season be different? You mentioned before it feels different, everything around the club. I think we just have to buy into the manager. I get the feeling he's a manager who can take us from mediocre to very good. What is very good? Well, let's see. Let's see where we get to. But we need to improve on last season, obviously. That goes without saying. We've had some brilliant new signings in the door. Players who just have quality. You can see it in training straight away. Hopefully all them things come together with the way the manager wants to play. We all buy into it. We pick up more wins than previous years, yeah.

12:06I know the manager's been very careful with you during this pre-season, but what version of James Madison is coming back? Hopefully a fully fit firing one when you have such a big injury. Like if you take Rodri, for example, who was the best player of the World Cup, when he did his ACL and when he come back, he's picking up a lot of like small knocks and niggles. And I'm kind of hoping to manage myself through that because when you have such a big injury and you miss so much football, your body can take a bit of time to readapt. But I'm working so hard to try and be fully fit and available for the majority of the season.

12:39that's all I want I want just a fully fit healthy healthy season where I can just enjoy football you know because if I'm if I'm fully fit and I'm healthy then I know what I'm capable of and I know I can affect games more than a lot of players in this league so let's just hope for that and finally tell me something about yourself James something that people get wrong about you the most that is a good question thank you what do I yeah but it's what I think people get wrong isn't it what do I think people get wrong about me I heard you say something earlier this year You said about doing the YouTube stuff and the fun stuff, because you like to have a lot of fun, that sometimes people think that means you aren't as serious about football.

13:16A few people have said about, like, you know, like the trolls on the old socials, they'll say he can't even focus on football because he did a YouTube with his rehab, you know? It's like anyone who knows me, who knows me properly, knows that I am absolutely in love with football and that's all I care about in my life. If you ask any of my family and friends, football is my number one. and it always will be. I love the game, I love learning, I love improving. Even now I'm so hungry for this season that nothing else could ever overtake my love for football. Maybe that. Good luck this season and I hope your little boy enjoys watching Daddy again.

13:50Thank you.

13:56This goes beyond what the KGB did back in the days. Conspiracy theories and the Football World Cup. Is there ever one without the other? Well, I've been digging into one of the very best back in 1994. Guy from Iraq gets a red card for a dubious tackle. I'm James Montague and from BBC Five Live, this is Sports Strangers Crimes Presents Shadows on the Pitch. Listen on BBC Sounds.

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