James Maddison: Injury, Family Life Made Last Year Toughest Of My Life

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder, James Maddison, has described the past year as the toughest of his life after battling a serious knee injury while he and his partner welcomed their second set of twins, leaving them to care for five children aged four and under.

Naija News reports that James Maddison, 29, missed most of the 2025-2026 season after suffering a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in August 2025.

During his recovery, Maddison’s partner became pregnant and gave birth to their second set of twins. The Tottenham midfielder said his growing family gave him a positive distraction as he dealt with the physical and mental strain of a long-term injury.

“I needed that positive distraction of my partner being pregnant and having to be there for her and forget about myself, even though I was going through a traumatic experience through my knee,” Maddison told the BBC.

He admitted that life at home has brought its own challenges, adding: “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.”

Maddison’s lengthy spell out of action also affected his eldest son, Leo, who at one point appeared to believe his father had left Tottenham.

“I missed a year of football, and a year in a child’s life, from three and a half to four and a half, it’s obviously massive,” Maddison said. “He couldn’t even remember over a year ago when he was at all the games.”

“It would be nice for him to come to the games again and actually remember Dad playing instead of just Dad sat at home watching him with a machine on his knee.”

Maddison returned to action against Leeds on 11 May after 375 days out but watched Tottenham struggle for most of the season. Spurs secured Premier League survival on the final day and finished just two points above the relegation zone, leaving the midfielder frustrated by his inability to help the team.

“We probably struggled a little bit for creativity, and I’m watching the games thinking, ‘what would I be doing there?'” he said.

Maddison credited Italian head coach Roberto De Zerbi with helping to change the mood at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after taking over in March.

“He’s very clever. He’s very tactical. He’s obsessed with football, you can see that,” Maddison said. “But to be honest, when he first came in, in comparison to pre-season and 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.”

One of De Zerbi’s first moves was to organise a team meal where the players could relax and drink alcohol together.

“We’re all going to be drinking alcohol, we’re all going to be having a good night,” De Zerbi told the squad, according to Maddison.

Maddison didn’t feature in Tottenham’s pre-season programme as the club manages his return from injury, but he remains confident that he can make an impact during the new campaign.

“I’m working so hard to try and be fully fit and available for the majority of the season,” he said.

“I want just a fully fit, healthy season where I can just enjoy football. Because if I’m fully fit and I’m healthy, then I know what I’m capable of. And I know that I can affect games more than a lot of players in this league. So, let’s just hope for that.”

Tottenham Hotspur will open their Premier League campaign away at Brentford. The match will kick off at 5:30 p.m. today, August 22.