Tottenham: James Maddison sends message to Harry Maguire after Man United star makes England return

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder James Maddison has been quick to praise Manchester United defender Harry Maguire after his return to the England fold on Friday night.

The centre-back played all 90 minutes of England’s 1-1 draw with Uruguay, and even captained the team in the second period after Jordan Henderson was withdrawn at half-time.

Maguire looked to have played his role in a valuable clean sheet for the Three Lions, until Federico Valverde converted a stoppage-time penalty to earn the visitors a draw.

It was the Man United star’s first appearance for his country since Thomas Tuchel was appointed as manager back in October 2024, and his performance left many impressed, not least Maddison.

The Spurs star is still continuing his recovery from a knee injury that he sustained back in pre-season, and he is set to have a watching brief once again for Tottenham’s clash with Sunderland after the international break.

James Maddison responds to Harry Maguire’s Instagram post

Injuries have limited Maguire to a slightly less influential role at United this season, as he has only started 14 games so far in 2025-26, but that hasn’t prevented him from getting international recognition.

Tuchel has been reluctant to call upon the veteran defender so far, despite him being a reliable presence throughout Gareth Southgate’s tenure in charge, but he finally gave him a chance on Friday and was rewarded with a strong performance.

Maguire notched five defensive contributions throughout the evening at Wembley, while also completing five recoveries to help his team.

He took to Instagram on Saturday and shared his delight to be back playing for his country once again.

“Love playing for my country,” the 33-year-old wrote in the caption of his post, accompanied by emojis of an England flag and a love heart.

His former Leicester City teammate Maddison was quick to reply with a message of support for the defender, as he commented with three clapping emojis.

There was also a supportive message from Arsenal and England midfielder Declan Rice, who simply wrote “what a man” in the comments section.

Maddison could be set for shock Tottenham exit

Former Aston Villa scout Mick Brown recently told Football Insider that his former club are keeping tabs on Maddison in the final weeks of the season, with a view to potentially making a move in the summer.

The former recruitment man suggested that the Villans will be among a number of clubs that will be keenly watching how the attacking midfielder fares in pre-season, after such a lengthy injury lay-off.

Brown added that Tottenham’s precarious situatiuon in the relegation battle could leave the door open for clubs to swoop in for Maddison this summer, with Villa expected to be among those who try to line up a move.

The 29-year-old has shown the joy he takes from playing for Tottenham on several occasions in recent years, but he could still be in line for a shock exit when the summer transfer window opens up.

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