How James Maddison snub shapes Leicester plans as Jack Grealish and James Justin may have impact

There is an element of tribalism to any England squad announcement. No fan wants to see their team downtrodden. That’s the case for Leicester City supporters, as shown by the reaction to James Maddison’s omission from this summer’s line-up.

When City first returned to the Premier League and Jamie Vardy got a call-up in 2015, that was a novelty to one of the club’s players representing the Three Lions, an excitement at seeing Leicester on the international stage. By the time Harry Maguire and Ben Chilwell were regularly getting in the side, that novelty had worn off. City fans were more concerned with their players not getting injured.

But with Maddison, it is different. There is a strong sense within the fanbase that he truly deserves to be playing for his country. His form warrants it. But he has been overlooked and City fans have taken issue with it. It’s not just a slight on their number 10, but the club as a whole.

Maddison has also become the latest poster boy for the under-represented, a player from a club outside the so-called big six used as the prime example by supporters of the other 14 and beyond to show the supposed bias present in England selection, where the elite are apparently favoured too heavily.

There are genuinely good reasons to feel Maddison should have been included. He has enjoyed the best season of his career and was in excellent form as the curtain came down on the campaign. His tally of 20 non-penalty goals and assists in the Premier League is only bettered among English players by Jarrod Bowen and Harry Kane, while he ended up with 30 goals and assists in all competitions for a club that finished mid-table. That’s a high enough total to accurately describe this as a snub.

But equally,