BRENDAN RODGERS says James Maddison is more golden boy than playboy – and believes the 23-year-old is the perfect role-model for any aspiring young footballer.
That’s why Foxes chiefs are currently working around the clock to thrash out a new £100,000-plus-a-week contract extension amid renewed speculation Manchester United want to sign him in the summer.
Brendan Rodgers has no issues with James Maddison partying in the winter breakCredit: Simon Jones – The Sun
Maddison is valued at £100million by Leicester – and lived up to that eye-watering value when he was pictured in Dubai lapping up his jet-set lifestyle during the players’ winter break.
Despite hooking up with model Sophie Kenyon and ordering bottles of Dom Perignon champagne at £6,750 a pop, Rodgers says he doesn’t mind his star midfielder being a party-animal in his down-time – because he is a beast in training and on course to be one of the best in the world in his position.
“Some people are trying to portray him as something that he’s not,” he said.
“Thankfully, I know the reality, he’s a top class young professional who focuses on his game and wants to be better and arrive at the very top level and sustain that. You see it in his performances and you see it in his numbers.
“I can only judge him on my time here, which is nearly a year now and he’s been absolutely brilliant for me. Outside of the pitch he’s been an absolute joy, a charming young man, really respectful.
“He really respects what he has here at Leicester. He’s just been an absolute pleasure to work with, he’s a great boy.
“If you are a young seven or eight-year-old boy watching the game right now, you want to be James Maddison.
Rodgers believes Maddison’s partying will not affect his training performancesCredit: Getty Images
“You want to take free kicks like James Maddison and have that personality to play his way.
“I’ve been taken aback by his quality working with him day-to-day here – and his mentality. He creates goals, he scores goals and he’s a real threat for us at set-pieces with world class deliveries.
“He’s certainly on the path to being one of the top players around in his position, you can see that, but there’s still a lot of work to do.”
Rodgers talked down comparisons between Maddison and a young David Beckham, who was adored for his image and became a style-icon as much as a football icon.
“James will want to be himself,” he said. “David Beckham never got the praise he deserved for the player he was. People saw him at the end of his career and everything that went with that.
“But Beckham was a phenomenal player with a fantastic attitude, a workrate and quality which was sustained over many years – an incredible professional. Everyone talks about the iconic David Beckham but actually from a football perspective, what an amazing player!
England ace James Maddison spent Premier League winter break partying in Dubai with pals and model
“James still has a way to go. He’s in his early 20’s so there’s a lot of work ahead for him. People want to fit a narrative around him but I know the reality of what he is and what he gives.
“We’re supposedly in this great world now where everyone ‘cares’ this wonderful atmosphere where everyone wants to look after you. It’s rubbish because the first thing people do is try to stitch you up.
“This is a 23-year-old boy who is single and he’s been given a free week and, like a lot of boys, they’re enjoying themselves. We try to educate them in many ways but this is something I’m not too bothered about.”
Maddison enjoyed the good times in Dubai over the winter breakCredit: Simon Jones – The Sun
James Maddison gambling with England career after pulling out of squad and being spotted at Leicester casino
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
