James Maddison is loving his blossoming bromance with Son Heung-min
James Maddison is loving his blossoming bromance with ‘nice guy’ Son Heung-min… as Tottenham’s £45m summer signing hails the impact of Ange Postecoglou’s ‘alpha male’ management
- Son Heung-min hasn’t stopped smiling since playing alongside James Maddison
- The £45m summer signing has been in fine form under boss Ange Postecoglou
- Listen to the latest episode of Mail Sport’s podcast ‘It’s All Coming Up!’
And they thought bromance was dead. For so long, there was only one unbreakable Tottenham double act in town. Harry Kane to Son Heung-min, Son Heung-min to Harry Kane.
No pairing in Premier League history combined for as many goals as those two Spurs team-mates.
Few made that boyish grin spread across Son’s face like the England captain. After Kane’s move to Bayern Munich, you wondered if anyone would ever be able to again. Step forward, James Maddison.
Since his move from Leicester this summer, Maddison and Son have already racked up eight goals and five assists between them. Maddison set up both of Son’s goals in the 2-2 draw at Arsenal.
They’ve joined in each other’s celebrations, too: Maddison’s dart throw and Son’s camera. All smiles. Maddison’s got Son grinning again.
James Maddison (right) has hit it off with Son Heung-min (left) since arriving at Tottenham
The pair love to mimic each other’s celebrations with their partnership in attack thriving now
Your browser does not support iframes.
‘It doesn’t take much to put a smile on Sonny’s face, to be fair!’ said Maddison. ‘He’s just naturally a nice guy, you know?
‘He’s someone you just want to give a big hug to every time you see him in the morning! Luckily, I get to do that. I know a lot of Spurs fans would love to give him a hug in the morning!
‘Even when I was at Leicester, I didn’t know him at all, but he’d come up to me after the game and we’d shake hands, and he’d give me a hug and be complimentary about me as a player. He doesn’t have to do that and I see him doing that with other people. He gives his time to people.
‘He’s a warm person to be around and a fantastic captain because he leads by example. With him as your captain, you don’t want to let him down because he’s such a good guy and has such high standards.
‘It’s infectious for the group. I can’t speak highly enough of Sonny. He’s a great captain and a great friend.’
Yet what seems like an immediate, natural understanding has taken work. It wasn’t quite love at first sight. Like all great relationships, it needed work.
‘There was a good few sessions in pre-season and on tour when I was thinking, “Maybe we’re on a little bit different wavelengths”,’ said Maddison. ‘Not just with Sonny, all the attackers. It takes time.
‘The best relationships on the pitch, you have to build up. You have to get used to each other.
Maddison (right) conceded it hasn’t all been straightforward despite a brilliant season so far
‘Playing in my last club with Jamie Vardy as a striker, he would do different stuff to what Sonny does. It was just about learning that, the runs he likes to make.
‘You have to be on the same wavelength as your striker for that to be successful. If you play a pass when he’s made a different run, it’s not going to work.
‘It did take a little bit of time in training, and talking to each other and getting used to it, but I feel like we’re getting there and it’s still improving.’
Son and Maddison are not the only ones at Tottenham getting a love-in. Victory on Monday against Fulham would see Ange Postecoglou earn more points in his first nine Premier League games than any other manager in history.
Even without Kane, the club’s record goalscorer and talisman, Postecoglou has got Tottenham playing exciting, vibrant, attacking football, not to mention his fun, natural performances in press conferences.
Maddison says he’s the just the same in the dressing room.
‘He’s a really good motivational speaker,’ said Maddison. ‘He has this way about him, when he talks to a group of players, he’s almost like an Alpha male. When he’s talking, everyone’s listening. You can’t even blink.
‘The team talks he does normally the day before the game, or even the day of the game in the changing room, they get you going, they get you ready to go out and play. He’s demanding of you.
Ange Postecoglou’s (left) ‘alpha male’ management has also left a mark on Maddison (right)
‘He uses real-life stuff to compare to football. It’s hard to explain if you haven’t heard one of his talks. He relates it back to life and family, and it just makes you want to go and play for him, and work for him, and run for him. He’s got that natural talent.’
Postecoglou showed his human side in his heartfelt speech on mental health when he discussed Tottenham striker Richarlison’s struggles that saw him left in tears on the Brazil bench earlier in the season.
He’s done it, too, in his talks about his heritage as a Greek immigrant in Australia and also in yet another viral clip when Postecoglou encouraged a disabled fan to ask a question during a Spurs Q&A after the host had said there was no time for more.
‘He’s just brilliant to play for, he’s a great man. I just love the way he wants his teams to play and it suits me perfectly.
‘He said that to me when we first spoke and how I’d fit into his system. I just saw it as a great match-up. Thankfully we’ve had some success early in the season in terms of results and we need to keep that going.’
IT’S ALL KICKING OFF!
It’s All Kicking Off is an exciting new podcast from Mail Sport that promises a different take on Premier League football, launching with a preview show today and every week this season.
It is available on MailOnline, Mail+, YouTube , Apple Music and Spotify
Your browser does not support iframes.
Source: Read Full Article