We’ve seen a little bit here and there from James Maddison since he tore his ACL in August. Emotional doesn’t begin to describe it. Madders’ injury took place in Spurs’ preseason match against Newcastle in Seoul in what ended up being Son Heung-Min’s last appearance at the club before his departure for LAFC, and the Tottenham Hotspur vice captain is set to miss the majority of the 2025-26 season after having surgery.
At the time, Madders called the injury “bad” and “a brutal moment.” He’s 28 years old, in his footballing prime, and an injury like this not only removes one of the teams’ best players from the squad but also could have long tail effects in what is left of Maddison’s career.
This evening, Maddison posted a new video on his personal YouTube channel, an hour long look at his recovery, starting three days after his injury and proceeding through surgery and his rehabilitation to his three week checkup with his orthopedic surgeon in early September. While there are some looks at his incisions it’s not at all graphic [stares intently at Dejan Kulusevski] but is honest and unflinching in detailing what it’s like to recover from an injury like what he sustained. And it’s a fascinating watch.
I didn’t think I was going to watch the entire video in one sitting, but if I’m honest, it was an incredibly compelling video. Here are some of my takeaways from viewing.
It’s clear WHY Maddison is doing this video and he says as much a few minutes in — he’s filming his recovery to help inform people who have had or who are going through a similar injury recovery, as well as for any Spurs fans who are interested in what it’s like to rehab from a major knee injury.
James is very comfortable in front of the camera. He’s clear, direct, and honest in his delivery. Honestly, watching this video makes me think he could be an EXCELLENT pundit when he finally hangs up his boots.
Madders wears his heart on his sleeve and you can see the emotion pouring off of him in the initial meeting with the orthopedic surgeon. He states the longest period he’s been out in his career up to that point was three months; this is obviously a much longer recovery at at points he looks like he’s going to break down.
The surgeon gave a timeline of recovery of eight months, but with a minimum recovery time of six months. That means with an average recovery we’re looking at Madders returning by April, in time for Spurs’ run-in. If he’s a quick healer, it could be as soon as February. (And this is the part where I remind people that “return” doesn’t mean “back to 100%”, and that it’s probably pretty likely that we won’t see the best of Madders until next season.)
James thanked Rodrigo Bentancur and Cuti Romero who sat with him at the stadium in Korea after the injury in what must have been a hugely emotional time for him. I always love to see those kind of human behind the scenes moments, and it makes it clear how close this particular group of players is. Lolo also said that Maddison’s recovery should be shorter than his, since Maddison didn’t tear his meniscus, only the ligaments. Best part of that scene: Cuti clearly wasn’t wearing pants.
Brennan Johnson is a goofball. If this video is anything to go by, he and Archie Gray are good buds and are also the court jesters of the squad.
James’ family is simply adorable, and his wife is clearly a saint. As someone who has gone through three surgeries in 18 months, I can’t express how incredible a gift it is to have a supportive partner when you’re recovering from surgery.
We got a good, close up look at Radu Dragusin’s surgical scars, and they’re gnarly (but in a good way?).
On balance, Madders’ recovery looks to be well on track. There didn’t seem to be any concerns about a longer recovery, and in fact everything on the video looked very, very good. I won’t extrapolate anything — these things don’t always take a straight line — but it was a really fascinating look into James’ physical and emotional well being. Honestly, I don’t know why the club itself doesn’t do stuff like this more often.
Seriously, can we get a Brennan - Archie buddy comedy?