Ryan Strain reveals James Maddison clamp after Tottenham star's attempt to troll St Mirren hero

St Mirren star Ryan Strain had the perfect put-down for James Maddison after the England ace gave him stick for missing a huge chance in Australia’s Wembley defeat.

Strain came so close to the biggest moment in his career on Friday night with the glamour friendly locked at 0-0. He beat keeper Sam Johnstone with a strike only to see Three Lions stopper Lewis Dunk deny him with a brilliant goal-line clearance. Old pal Maddison, who played with Strain in Coventry’s academy, was quick to rip into him for failing to score.

But the Buddies full-back made sure he didn’t miss the mark with his reply. Strain said: “I saw the keeper coming out so I kept it low – but it was great defending by Lewis. On another day, that goes in, but it is what it is. James told me, ‘You’ve got to finish that.’ But I said I thought I did everything right. Then I said, ‘What about your shot that went out for a throw-in?’ Still, it was good to catch up with him.”

Strain had a tough job marking Jack Grealish, another England superstar he knows well after brother Tom played with the winger at Aston Villa. But the St Mirren stalwart managed to keep the Manchester City Treble-winner relatively quiet even though it proved to be a painful experience.

Strain told socceroos.com: “It was great to mark and play against Grealish. He kept hitting me in the stomach. I was saying to him after the game ‘What are you punching me for?’ He said because I kept nipping at his heels – but with a quality of player like that, you’ve got to be on him.”

Hibs winger Martin Boyle swapped shirts with Grealish at the end and couldn’t help but laugh when the City star had a joke with him. Boyle tweeted yesterday: “Hang it in the Louvre, what a legend.”

Grealish set up the