James Maddison was the star of the show, scoring two goals and setting up another as Leicester thrashed Nottingham Forest 4-0 at the King Power Stadium. The performance helped his side off bottom and put his World Cup chances back to the top of the agenda.
Maddison has now scored nine goals in his last 11 Premier League appearances and says himself he is in the best form of his career. His manager Brendan Rodgers is backing his inclusion as he looks to add to the solitary England cap he won in 2019.
Leicester’s poor form might have masked the fact Maddison is thriving right now. This result – on Monday Night Football – puts his obvious quality back centre stage. But having been overlooked by Gareth Southgate for so long, is there time for him to make the World Cup squad?
Rodgers revealed in his post-match press conference that Southgate has never asked about Maddison, but he was emphatic about the playmaker’s quality when speaking to Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher and David Jones after the game.
“It is a really difficult job being a manager and you know what it is like Gary being in there with the quality that’s available,” said Rodgers.