Does James Maddison deserve a spot in the England squad?

Gareth Southgate recently announced the latest England squad and once again, James Maddison failed to make the cut. 

We’ve analysed the playmaker's season so far and dived into the stats to see if he deserves a place in the England squad or not. 

Maddison has only ever made one appearance for England and that came all the way back in 2019.  

There are no doubts that he has had his dips in form over the years, but right now he seems to be at the peak of his powers. 

2020/21 season 

The 2020/21 season was somewhat of a return to form for Maddison in terms of his goalscoring numbers. 

The previous season had seen him score just six Premier League goals, his lowest ever return. 

This season Maddison was more involved in front of goal as he scored eight goals and picked up five assists. 

He averaged 1.6 key passes during this season and took an average of 2.4 shots per game. 

Three of his eight goals were scored from outside the box and he had an average match rating of 7.00, which was the sixth highest in the Leicester squad. 

Brendan Rodgers saw his side go on to finish the season 5th in the Premier League as they just missed out on Champions League football for the second season in a row. 

2021/22 season 

The following season was undoubtedly Maddison’s best ever campaign at this level and this is where the England shouts have come from. 

During the 2021/22 season, Maddison outscored the likes of Mason Mount, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish. 

The Leicester City man scored a total of 12 league goals as well as producing eight assists. He provided 20 goal contributions for Leicester overall and those numbers aren’t to be sniffed at. 

Maddison had refined his game in front of goal and his clinical edge had certainly improved. 

Last season, Maddison ranked as the ninth biggest xG overperformer in the Premier League with an overperformance of 3.8 goals in total. 

His ability to score goals from range and unlikely angles makes him massively unpredictable and hard to read. 

Throughout the season, Maddison didn’t receive a call-up to the England squad though as Southgate favoured his other creative options. 

During this season, Maddison averaged 2.1 shots per game and 1.6 key passes. He made 100 shot-creating actions and was Leicester’s most consistent performer throughout the season. 

2022/23 season 

There’s no denying that Leicester are really struggling at the moment. 

Brendan Rodgers has admitted that his job in now under pressure as the Foxes have just one point to show from their opening seven matches. 

Despite their struggles this season, Maddison has still produced a series of consistent performances. 

In six league appearances, he has scored three goals and got an assist. 

Leicester’s main problem has been keeping the ball out of the back of the net as they have conceded an average of 3.14 goals per game. 

Scoring goals hasn’t been as much of an issue for Rodgers side.  

Leicester have averaged 1.42 goals per game and they have scored more than the likes of Newcastle, Chelsea and Man United. 

It seems as if Maddison will have to continue to improve if he is to get recalled into the England squad. 

As this is the last International before the World Cup takes place, his chances of making it into the squad do seem quite slim at this moment in time. 

His creative numbers have remained impressive this season as he has averaged 2.2 key passes and 3.3 shots per game. 

As the likes of Ayoze Perez and Jamie Vardy are yet to score this season, Maddison’s goals have been more important than ever.