For James Maddison, the 2025/26 campaign had the potential to be one of the defining seasons of his career.
With the playmaker still the right side of 30 years old and with Tottenham having qualified for the Champions League and England in a World Cup year, the former Leicester City playmaker will have been hoping that the stars were aligning for him this summer.
Instead, Maddison would be reminded that football can be a cruel game, as he suffered an ACL injury during a pre-season friendly against Newcastle United, derailing his season before it had even begun in earnest.
Maddison on the 'dark days' during his injury recovery
“It was painful,” he tells FourFourTwo, referring not just to the physical injury, but to the emotional impact. “It was difficult to accept, with a big season ahead, a World Cup year.
“But it is what it is, you have to deal with it, crack on with the rehab and smile in the face of adversity. I’ve been working hard every day, head down, grit my teeth and get through it.
“There have been some tough days, some dark days, lonely days. But I’ll get there and be back better and stronger, I have no doubt.
“The medical team at Spurs is amazing, the manager, all the coaches, everyone has been supportive. Like myself, they can’t wait to see me back on the pitch.”
A typical recovery time for an ACL injury is around nine months, but Maddison is cautious when it comes to putting an exact date on when he expects to return.
“I don’t know yet,” he says. Asked whether he’d given up on his dream of making this year’s World Cup, he’d similarly rather not go into it.
“That’s not my priority,” he says. “I’m just focusing on the rehab, not looking too far ahead – it’s been day by day, getting my knee right, feeling good and feeling strong, and the rest will take care of itself, like it always has done.”
Elite sport is also about how players deal with such setbacks. “Yeah, you’ve got to bounce back,” he says. “I just can’t wait to be back doing my thing for Tottenham, proving myself and getting back to that level.”
Understandably, Maddison’s primary focus is getting back onto the pitch. “I’m coming into my prime. I’m so hungry, I’m working so hard. I’ve still got so much to give.”
Maddison was speaking at PUMA’s new store on Oxford Street in London, the brand’s first European flagship store.