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Tottenham star James Maddison has insisted he has not signed for the club to play under Harry Kane.
Moving to north London has so far been a breeze for the 26-year-old, who admits it’s another Spurs legend he’s looking to emulate: Paul Gascoigne.
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Maddison left Leicester over the summer and has already proved key for his new club after scoring two goals and assisting two more in his first five appearances.
Many expected him to partner with Kane before the latter left Spurs for Bayern Munich and while such a partnership could have been world class, Maddison says his decision to move did not been influenced by the attacker.
Speaking to The Sun, he said: “I wasn’t naive enough to go there thinking there was no way Kane could leave Tottenham. I wasn’t going to Tottenham for Kane.
“I knew there was a chance Harry could leave, but it wasn’t all bad. There was a very good atmosphere with the arrival of the new manager and new players, and I didn’t feel any hangover from the previous managers.
“There were overtones around more negative and defensive football and I didn’t feel any hangover from it. Everyone was on a new table and there was a really good energy and a really good atmosphere in the club.
“I think Harry is the best No.9 in the world and I would have loved to play with him for more than a few pre-season games. But Bayern are a huge club and I wish Harry all the best.
“Harry is probably the best player to ever play for Tottenham, he is definitely one of the greatest. He cemented his legacy as a legend and had nothing left to prove.
“But we have some brilliant players at Spurs. The front line and most importantly we can be very fluid with how the manager wants us to play.”
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Kane is Spurs’ all-time top scorer with 278 goals, but it’s Gascoigne who Maddison is looking to emulate at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The former attacking midfielder made 96 appearances for the club and is an icon that Spurs’ summer signing has watched from a young age.
“My dad used to put together football video montages. He’s a graphic designer and computer savvy – and Gazza features a lot of that.
“Before turning professional, you were a fan and I liked players who had personality, players who had a bit of sassiness, more than your standard…
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“Gazza was a perfect example. I remember one clip where the cameras were rolling during the national anthem and it was happening to him and he was sticking his tongue out and starting to play with the camera and get cloudy eyed.
” I love that. That’s why I like to interact with fans and show my personality. I don’t know if you’ve seen the clip of me kicking the ball out of the corner with the Bournemouth fans – it’s stuff like that that I love to do, that makes me hungry.
“I love the theatrical element of almost being the villain. That’s why I liked watching it and that’s why I like playing it. But it’s not a conscious thing to try to be the showman. That’s how I am. I go to dinner with my family and I like being the main man.
Maddison is on international duty with England and could feature in their Euro 2024 qualifier against Ukraine on Saturday, live on talkSPORT.
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