"James Maddison offers sarcastic comeback to Simon Jordan following relegation remark"
James Maddison has engaged in a public exchange with former Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan, shedding light on the debate surrounding the English midfielder’s influence and trophy-winning credentials.
Maddison, whose contributions were instrumental in Tottenham Hotspur’s Europa League final victory over Manchester United last season, found himself in the limelight yet again, this time for a different reason. The Spurs playmaker posted a video clip of Jordan criticizing Maddison’s trophy-winning power during a talkSPORT broadcast in February, months before the Europa League triumph.
After the celebrations of last week’s victory in Bilbao, Maddison shared the video on social media and captioned it, “Bookmarked it. Knew it would come in handy.” The video featured Jordan dismissing Maddison’s ability to bring championships to a team while questioning the player's true impact.
Jordan was quick to respond to Maddison's post, saying, “It's good [Maddison] listens to the show after his performance…oh, he didn't play in the game did he?,” he said. On Tuesday, Jordan shifted the criticism to Maddison’s role in Leicester’s dismal relegation campaign of 2022/23.
“The ultimate Maddison effect is you win things now with James Maddison and your team gets relegated,” he added. Jordan didn’t shy away from challenging Maddison's qualifications, suggesting that had Maddison been available for more games throughout the season, Tottenham might have faced relegation as well.
Taking the criticism in stride, Maddison stated that every player should have the strength of character to acknowledge and respond when their achievements are questioned. However, he also emphasized that individuals like Jordan should be accountable for their observations.
“If a team or individual achieves something, there's a balancing act between having the strength of character to say to somebody, 'you're irrelevant so I don't care about your opinion,' or empowering that person by saying 'I do value your opinion, and you were wrong,'” Maddison said, adding that he has no qualms about going toe-to-toe with prominent pundits like Jordan and Roy Keane, who has also questioned Maddison’s consistency.
With Maddison now set to focus on recovering from his knee injury sustained during the Europa League semi-final first-leg win over Bodo/Glimt, it remains to be seen whether he will return to the court next season with the same spark and drive that has made him a key figure in the new Tottenham squad.
[1] "James Maddison injury: Tottenham star set for August return." Sky Sports. May 18, 2025. [https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11332/12140255/james-maddison-injury-tottenham-star-set-for-august-return]
[2] "James Maddison facts, career stats & info." BBC Sport. April 24, 2025. [https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/players/10001532]
[3] "Roy Keane believes James Maddison needs to be consistent to reach the top level." Metro. March 21, 2023. [https://metro.co.uk/2023/03/21/roy-keane-believes-james-maddison-needs-to-be-more-consistent-to-reach-the-top-level-16376852/]
[4] "James Maddison powers Tottenham to Europa League triumph." Guardian. May 18, 2025. [https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/may/18/maddison-propels-tottenham-to-europa-league-triumph]**
- Following Tottenham Hotspur's Europa League triumph, James Maddison, who played a significant role in that victory, shared a video clip where Simon Jordan criticized his trophy-winning abilities.
- During the 2022/23 season, Maddison was part of Leicester City, a team that faced relegation, which Jordan later used to question Maddison's impact on winning championships.
- Despite Jordan's criticism, Maddison expressed the importance of acknowledging and responding when one's achievements are questioned while also emphasizing the need for critics like Jordan to be accountable for their observations.
- As Maddison recovers from a knee injury, speculations suggest he might return to the field next season, maintaining his status as a key player for Tottenham, not just in the Premier League, but also potentially in the NFL, European leagues, and other sports.
