The Leicester City turning point that gives clues over James Maddison’s response to England snub

While James Maddison is on holiday, England have scored one goal (from the penalty spot) in two games, their performances have been criticised for a lack of creative spark and attacking fizz, and one of the players chosen ahead of the Leicester City midfielder, Phil Foden, has been absent following a positive Covid test.

Maddison would be forgiven for being deflated by the whole situation. He has just had the best year of his career, finishing with a combined 30 goals and assists, and yet has been overlooked for national selection despite the team appearing to need his qualities.

But for Maddison to react negatively to the situation would be out of character. In fact, evidence suggests he will look for ways to take his game to even higher levels so that he cannot be ignored for the next England camp in September.

The attacking midfielder had a very difficult start to the last campaign, and it came to a head in City's 2-1 away defeat at Brighton, when he was substituted at half-time following 45 minutes on the right wing in which he looked a shadow of his best self. It would have been easy, manager Brendan Rodgers said, for Maddison to blame others around him for the situation he found himself in, but he didn’t do that.

Instead, Maddison was introspective. He recognised his poor form and set about improving it. Rodgers said last month: “The turning point for James, for the first time in his young life as a player, he felt vulnerable. Early in the season, he was not at the level he wanted to be, and I remember clearly a game against Brighton where for him and for me, and knowing the level he can be at, he just wasn’t himself.

“That was the game when we sat down and stripped back his game, just going back to the