Tottenham Hotspur’s James Maddison explains how raising five young children helped him endure a severe knee injury. The 29-year-old missed most of the 2025-26 campaign after tearing his ACL last August. While recovering, his partner welcomed twins. Maddison described this period as the “toughest year of his life” but emphasized that family life provided a vital distraction from his rehab.

His long absence hurt Spurs, who barely escaped relegation. Maddison admitted the team lacked creativity without him. Yet, incoming manager Roberto de Zerbi quickly improved the squad’s atmosphere. Arriving in March, De Zerbi stripped tactics back to basics, hosted a social team dinner, and deliberately benched Maddison to strengthen locker-room bonds instead of forcing an early comeback.

Now returning to training, Maddison has not been risked in pre-season but stays determined. He made his matchday return against Leeds on 11 May and is committed to staying injury-free. “I want just a fully fit, healthy season where I can just enjoy football,” he stated, confident that his experience will allow him to affect games more than many others in the league.