James Maddison made a touching gesture ahead of Radu Dragusin’s first Tottenham match in nearly 10 months on Wednesday.
Dragusin suffered an ACL injury back in January, while the attacking midfielder picked up the same injury during the pre-season tour in Asia.
Maddison and Dragusin have been supporting each other through their rehabilitation, and the Romanian is now finally on the verge of returning to action.
The 23-year-old took a significant step on Wednesday, playing 45 minutes for Tottenham’s U21s in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Leyton Orient.
James Maddison arrives to support his Tottenham teammate ahead of his return to the pitch
The 28-year-old Tottenham star decided to come to Hotspur Way on his day off, admitting that he could not miss Dragusin’s return to the pitch.
Maddison wrote on his Instagram story: “Day off for me today, but couldn’t miss Radu’s first minutes back after nine months. I’ve seen firsthand how hard this man has worked to be in this position, ready to play again. His attitude, honest to god, keeps me so motivated every day. Proud of you, mush.”
In the video released by Tottenham on their social media account, the former Leicester City man can be seen giving a big hug to Dragusin just as he is about to enter the pitch.
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Radu Dragusin admits it meant a lot to have Maddison present on his return
The central defender was emotional after finally returning to the pitch after a long and difficult journey.
He revealed Maddison had helped a lot in keeping his spirits high through the rehabilitation and admitted that it was special to have the midfielder by his side yesterday.
When asked about the help he got from people around him, Dragusin told Tottenham’s official website: “Honestly, everybody, but you know, especially Madders, he was there when I got injured, he always was next to me to give me a laugh in a difficult day.
“For him to be here next to me, it really meant a lot, because you know, this is how we are here, we are a family, we don’t let anyone down in the hard moments, so I’m really grateful to be part of this group.”