Tottenham Hotspur midfielder James Maddison has been a success story for the North London club since joining them last summer.
The 26-year-old has established himself as a key player for the club and he is slowly becoming a fan favourite.
The midfielder produced an impressive performance against rivals Arsenal during the first half of the season to further endear himself to the Tottenham faithful. However, prior to Tottenham’s match against Manchester City in the last few weeks of the season, the midfielder was asked about his feelings towards Arsenal.
Meanwhile, Maddison has now admitted that he has never been a Tottenham fan and that he grew up supporting Coventry City. He also added that he does not have a deep-rooted hatred towards Arsenal, which most Tottenham fans share. However, he is understanding of their position.
Maddison went on to explain that most professional players tend to ignore the outside noise and the media build-up before big games, and they are not concerned about what the press and the fans have to say.
Speaking on talkSPORT (28 May 2024, 5:15 pm), he said: “All the build-up that you lot (media) do, we probably don’t as much notice as you think or don’t fully understand the fans’ feelings.
“I am not a Tottenham fan. Deep down in my heart, I don’t have the hatred for Arsenal that Tottenham fans have. But on the same page, I completely understand.
“I am a Coventry fan. That’s where watching Coventry in the FA Cup, that’s how I feel when I support a team, and that’s how I know with the rivals and stuff.
AD“So, I completely get it, but I am not sure, it’s not really a thing when you are a professional and a player. You just play the game normally and kind of ignore the outside noise.”
Tottenham’s match against Manchester City was a defining one in the title race and Arsenal were probably hoping for their London rivals to win on that day. Tottenham ended up losing to Manchester City and Pep Guardiola’s men went on to win the league title eventually.
