James Justin tells James Maddison how to change Gareth Southgate's mind after England omission

James Maddison needs to make himself too hard for Gareth Southgate to ignore to earn a place in the England squad for the World Cup, Leicester City team-mate James Justin has said.

Maddison was the most controversial omission from the Three Lions squad selected by Southgate for this month’s Nations League matches, City’s player of the season having registered 20 non-penalty goals and assists in the Premier League this term, a number only bettered by Harry Kane and Jarrod Bowen (both 22) among English players.

Southgate said that Maddison was left out because he is very happy with Chelsea's Mason Mount and Manchester City's Phil Foden, who he counts as the City playmaker's rivals for a place in the team, and saw no reason to tinker with his squad.

Maddison's club-mate Justin did make the cut and he could get his first cap in this weekend’s game against Hungary. Justin has said he has spoken to the attacking midfielder and has encouraged him to do “something special” to force Southgate to change his mind.

“I’ve talked to him at length,” Justin told talkSPORT. “He just knows he has to keep doing his thing and knuckle down, and be too hard not to be included in the squad.

“To do that, he’s just got to elevate his game even more because the players in his position, all of them have had good seasons as well. So he has to do something special to get in the squad.”

Maddison is not the only other City player on the fringes of the England team. Harvey Barnes has a cap to his name but was overlooked despite an effective season at the top end of the pitch, while Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s performances over the second half of the campaign also saw his name mentioned in connection with England.

But time is running out for those