‘I saw him’: Callum Wilson raves about £40m player Newcastle reportedly will bid for in January

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Callum Wilson has hailed reported Newcastle United target James Maddison for his ability from free kick situations.

Speaking on the Footballers’ Football Podcast, Wilson says that Maddison practices his free-kicks more than any other player he has seen in his career.

The pair played together at Coventry City, where Maddison was coming through as a young player, while Wilson was further ahead in his development.

The duo could be reunited on Tyneside and could be playing together now if Newcastle’s summer overtures had been successful.

Wilson on Maddison

Wilson said: “The one person throughout my career when I was younger, I saw him taking free-kicks after every training session, was James Maddison, when I was at Coventry.

“He was young at the time and he would come up and train with the first-team and you’d do finishing with him and then go inside, and you would potentially be in the gym and you’d look out the window and he’d still be taking free-kicks.

“So for me, when I see him step up and take a free kick now, and he’s whipping them in left, right, goalkeeper’s side or whatever, it’s not by luck or fluke or he’s naturally gifted with this talent.

“It’s come from years and years of practice and credit to him. He’s reaping the rewards of it now on a big stage.”

The Mirror reported this month that the Magpies are set to rekindle their interest in Maddison during the January transfer window in a deal that could exceed £40 million.

Maddison has started the season on fire and Newcastle could still do with an extra creative influence to add goals and assists from midfield.

Wilson would also benefit from a reunion with his former Coventry teammate as he looks to put a run of goals together.