James Maddison Opens Up About Family Life and Recovery Journey as He Prepares for New Season
The Football Interview will air on BBC One at 12:45 PM every Saturday throughout the Premier League season. Viewers can also catch it on BBC iPlayer, the BBC Football YouTube channel, and the BBC Sport website and app. The inaugural episode for this season debuts on Saturday, August 22, featuring host Kelly Somers in a discussion with Tottenham Hotspur’s James Maddison.
Maddison shared insights into his life at home, revealing the challenges he and his partner faced raising five children aged four and under while he recovered from a serious knee injury. The 29-year-old had to sit out most of the 2025-26 season due to a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) he sustained last August.
During his recovery period, his partner welcomed their second set of twins, marking a year he described as the “toughest” of his life. However, he expressed gratitude for his family’s support throughout this challenging time. “I needed that positive distraction of my partner being pregnant and having to be there for her and forget about myself,” Maddison explained to Somers.
The former Leicester City midfielder acknowledged the hectic atmosphere at home, saying, “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 noted the impact of his absence on his eldest son, Leo, who at one point thought his father had left Spurs due to the time apart. “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,” he said, wishing for his son to witness him play on the pitch instead of just seeing him at home with a knee machine.
Tottenham endured a challenging season, narrowly avoiding relegation, which Maddison found difficult to watch from the sidelines. He reflected, “We probably struggled a little bit for creativity, and I’m watching the games thinking, ‘what would I be doing there?'”
Despite the hurdles, Maddison spoke positively about the influence of new head coach Roberto de Zerbi, who took charge in March. “He’s very clever. He’s very tactical. He’s obsessed with football, you can see that,” Maddison stated. He also highlighted De Zerbi’s efforts to create a more relaxed team atmosphere, including organizing a team meal allowing alcohol. “He wanted us to have a night where we all just relax,” Maddison recalled.
De Zerbi’s consideration extended to Maddison, as he encouraged the midfielder to participate with the team, saying he could sit on the bench “in my slippers if I want.” Maddison took this gesture as a compliment, emphasizing the importance of being part of the group even while recovering.
Returning to action on May 11 against Leeds, Maddison has not yet been risked in pre-season training but remains optimistic. “I’m working so hard to try and be fully fit and available for the majority of the season,” he affirmed. “I want just a fully fit, healthy season where I can just enjoy football.” With confidence in his abilities, Maddison is eager to impact games significantly in the new season.
The Football Interview will be available on BBC One at 12:45 every Saturday during the Premier League season, as well as on BBC iPlayer, BBC Football YouTube and the BBC Sport website and app.
The first episode of the new season, available on Saturday, 22 August, sees Kelly Somers sit down with Tottenham Hotspur’s James Maddison.
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Tottenham midfielder James Maddison said he and his partner have been “in the trenches” at home with five children aged four and under during a period when he was sidelined from football with a serious knee injury.
The 29-year-old missed most of the 2025-26 season because of the ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) he suffered last August.
During his recovery, Maddison’s partner gave birth to their second set of twins. He described it as the “toughest year of his life” but credited his family for helping him get through.
“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,” he told Kelly Somers.
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Despite that, life has not been easy.
“A lot of nappies flying about, a lot of accidents at home, but it’ll all be worth it,” he said.
“We still love it. I wouldn’t change it for the world.”
Maddison said that because of his prolonged absence from football, his eldest son Leo actually assumed at one point that he had left Spurs.
“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,” he 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.”
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‘De Zerbi said I can come on the bench in my slippers if I want’
Maddison returned to action against Leeds in May after being sidelined for 375 days [Getty Images]
Spurs struggled last season, securing survival on the final day and finishing just two points above the relegation zone. Maddison said it was tough not to be able to help out.
“We probably struggled a little bit for creativity and I’m watching the games thinking, ‘what would I be doing there?’,” he said.
Despite those tough experiences, the midfielder described how Italian head coach Roberto de Zerbi helped lift the mood at the 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,” said Maddison.
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“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 the first things the Italian did, revealed Maddison, was to organise a team meal, where alcohol was allowed.
The 29-year-old described De Zerbi telling his team: “We’re all going to be drinking alcohol, we’re all going to be having a good night.”
Maddison explained: “He wanted us to have a night where we all just relax.
“That feeling that we got made everyone feel more knitted together, straight away.”
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Another thing De Zerbi did early on in his tenure was to put Maddison on the bench.
“I was almost like, ‘I’m not ready to play yet, boss’,” the midfielder said.
“But he said 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. 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.”
The midfielder made his return against Leeds on 11 May, but he has not been risked in pre-season so far. Despite that, Maddison remains confident for the season ahead.
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“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.”
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