Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham amazed by Tottenham target James Maddison

Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham were both seriously impressed with Tottenham Hotspur target James Maddison yesterday.

The Leicester City star finally made his first start for England, as the Three Lions defeated Ukraine 2-0 at Wembley.

Maddison took to Instagram after the match to celebrate a win and a huge moment in his career.

It’s nothing more than the 26-year-old has deserved for his performances this season.

Leicester are in real trouble right now, hovering above the relegation zone.

The one player who has made sure they’re currently outside of the bottom three is James Maddison.

He’s already scored nine goals for his club, and is the main provider of chances for his teammates.

It’s unsurprising that Tottenham are reportedly keen to sign the attacking playmaker this summer.

Maddison’s future at Leicester looks in serious doubt, and that could allow Spurs to pounce.

They’re likely to have competition from other clubs, including Newcastle, but the £60m man showed yesterday why he’s so in demand.

Rice and Bellingham amazed by Tottenham target Maddison

The 26-year-old posted a montage of photos on social media marking his first start for his country.

He simply used the quote, “I love football”, which was applauded by Arsenal star Bukayo Saka.

Bellingham replied saying, “Some player Sheriff”, while Rice said to Tottenham target Maddison, “So so good”.

Maddison would offer the Spurs squad something they don’t currently have.

He prefers to play in an attacking central role, controlling the game in the final third.

He’s also capable of popping up in the box and getting on the end of chances, something Tottenham’s current midfielders don’t often do.

Gareth Southgate utilised Maddison on the left-wing yesterday, although he rarely stuck to that position.

Instead, he kept drifting inside, allowing Ben Chilwell to bomb forward in the space he created.

This is a tactic that Spurs could really utilise, with their wing-backs constantly encouraged to get forward.

Whether those tactics will remain next season when a new manager comes in to replace Antonio Conte remains to be seen.

However, Maddison is a good enough player that whoever takes over at Spurs would be very happy to have him.