Tottenham's Maddison: European Glory in Sight

Tottenham midfielder James Maddison is determined to lead his team to European success. Read about his ambitions and what he hopes to achieve in the Europa League.

Tottenham midfielder James Maddison spoke at the club's press conference ahead of their Europa League match against Bodo/Glimt. With Spurs' Premier League campaign underwhelming, their season now hinges on European success.

Maddison hopes to inspire and lead his team as they aim to reach the Europa League final, where they would face either Manchester United or Athletic Club.

James Maddison emphasized the significance of the upcoming match for Tottenham, particularly given the disappointing league campaign, highlighting the importance of the Europa League fixture.

“It's huge. When you get to the end of your career and you look back, there's not many times a player has been in European semi-finals. Maybe once or twice if you are lucky. 

"My manager, my gaffer."

Tottenham Hotspur’s James Maddison says he has “an awful amount of respect” for manager Ange Postecoglou 🤝⚪️ pic.twitter.com/sCgD27lBNI

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 30, 2025

“We need to use that - we are in the final four in a massive competition in Europe, and use that to have a great tie on Thursday and in Bodo as well.

“We've got a real special opportunity. There's obviously been a lot of talk about form and being a poor season, but we have the opportunity to do something very special. We've earned it, and we deserve to be here. It is a challenge we are going to relish.”

Maddison's Leadership Role

James Maddison highlighted his role as a senior player in Tottenham's side, emphasizing the importance of using his experience to motivate and inspire his younger teammates. Having won competitions like the Premier League and FA Cup, Maddison aims to draw on that expertise to lead the team in their Europa League campaign.

“You want to feel the hurt and a little bit embarrassed about how Sunday went. Losing 5-1 in any game is embarrassing. Liverpool obviously won the Premier League on the day, and it was a negative day (for us) as a club.

“My job as a senior player is to almost not accept the fact that we were poor and we cannot go forward like that because the league is important and it gives you momentum for Europe, but also have the feeling of trying to put it to one side. 

“We've got a lot of young players, we need positivity, and you want them to feel good and ready to go into Thursday. Trying to get a nice feel about the group, it's a balancing act.”

🚨⚪️ James Maddison on Postecoglou’s future: “We're behind the manager 100%. I think he's a great man”.

“He's the first person to tell you, I've heard it myself, that we've been poor in the league. He's my manager, my gaffer and I respect him”. pic.twitter.com/ehcLR3Etxo

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 30, 2025

Learning from Past Experience

James Maddison reflected on his experience of reaching the semi-finals of the Conference League with Leicester in 2022, where they lost to Roma. He suggested that the defeat could serve as fuel for his current team, Tottenham, as they pursue success in the Europa League.

“Definitely, I am very motivated to help the team have success. We got to a European semi-final with Leicester in the Conference League and lost to Roma over two legs.

“At the time, I didn't realise the magnitude of what we were so close to achieving, until now. It's important for myself and the team that we are ready and don't let any small detail get in the way.”