‘He’s going mad’: Conor Coady now says £40m Newcastle target is terrible at heading

By Ben Evans

England’s training sessions at the World Cup seem to be all fun and games at the moment.

Players are in good spirits, mocking one another for their performances in a number of drills.

Speaking on England’s social media accounts, Conor Coady has been giving the lowdown on his teammates.

Coady has yet to play a minute in Qatar, similarly to how he didn’t feature at the Euros last summer.

However, he’s a key figure in the squad, and very popular among his teammates.

He’s among a number of players who haven’t yet featured under Gareth Southgate.

Another one of those is James Maddison.

Maddison’s inclusion was widely discussed, as he’s been in sensational form for Leicester this season.

His seven goals and four assists make him one of the most productive players in the league.

However, Coady has revealed that Maddison is terrible at heading the ball.

The £40m Newcastle target is better known for delivering crosses than getting on the end of them.

But Coady has admitted the 26-year-old gets seriously frustrated with his lack of aerial ability.

Maddison is terrible at heading – Coady

The Everton defender took great pleasure in talking about Maddison’s struggles in the air.

“You can see with the heading. We were playing against Jack [Grealish] and Madders today and Madders was going mad because he can’t head it,” Coady said.

“Listen, I can’t whip one in the bin like he can but I can head it better than him, so I’m slapping headers down and he’s putting all his might in but not putting much might in.

“So, he’s going mad saying it’s a game for defenders.”

Coady’s admission that Maddison is terrible at heading isn’t all that surprising.

The midfielder barely challenges in the air, and has won just two aerial duels out of eight in league this season.

Newcastle aren’t interested in Maddison for his heading ability though.

The playmaker offers so much going forward, and could be the key that links Newcastle’s midfield and attack.

Coady won’t be pleased to hear that his heading ability has been questioned too.

Marcus Rashford revealed that he and Eric Dier are starting to feel the pressure in training to stay ahead of the rest of the squad.