Former England striker Jermain Defoe names Tottenham midfielder James Maddison as the most underrated player in the Premier League

Former England and Tottenham Hotspur striker Jermain Defoe has named James Maddison as the most underrated player in the Premier League.

Tottenham have endured a tough season with the team lying in the bottom half of the table for several months now. They have also been eliminated from both domestic cup competitions, so the only way Ange Postecoglou’s side could salvage the season to some extent is by winning the Europa League.

The persistent injury problems has had an impact on the form of certain Spurs players. One of them is James Maddison, who has struggled to cement his place in the head coach’s first XI this season. He has started just 18 out of 28 Premier League games, yet managed to deliver nine goals and five assists.

While the playmaker has been criticised by certain pundits like Roy Keane—a tad harshly at times—due to a lack of consistency, Defoe finds Maddison the most underappreciated player in the Premier League right now.

When asked who the most underrated player in the Premier League is at this moment in time, Defoe told LiveScore:

“Maybe James Maddison, you know. I think when we see when he does play for Tottenham the qualities that he brings.

“I would just love to see him back in the England squad and trying to get in the England team. He missed out on the Euros which was obviously disappointing for him, but I think the best version of James Maddison can play for England.”

James Maddison needs to bring more consistency to his game

Having arrived in a £40m deal from Leicester City in the summer of 2023 as one of the best creative midfielders in the Premier League, Maddison is yet to live up to the lofty expectations of the Tottenham faithful and pundits.

The Englishman’s numbers at Spurs are not bad, but many expect him to take control of games and dictate terms with his passing ability, reading of the game and intelligence a lot more. He’s got the ability and experience, and now at 28, Maddison should be running the show from the middle of the park for Ange Postecoglou’s side.

However, Defoe has a completely different school of thought as he believes Maddison is the most underappreciated talent in the Premier League right now.

I am Rohan Sengupta from one of the busiest cities in India, Mumbai. A Journalism graduate with a keen interest in sports, football is something I simply cannot live without and writing, discussing and analyzing the game is what I do 24*7.