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Tottenham reportedly want to sign ‘sensational’ midfielder Joe Cole says is just like Bernardo Silva
James Maddison has been named in the England squad for World Cup 2022 and Joe Cole has compared him to Bernardo Silva.
Cole wrote in the how important Maddison could be for the Three Lions now he has been included in Gareth Southgate’s 26-man party.
Maddison has been a reported transfer target for Tottenham and Newcastle but for now, his focus is on earning glory in Qatar.
Cole on Maddison
He said: “The goals and the assists will come eventually for Maddison once he starts to get control of games and the flow of the play means that the attacks he starts take him higher up the pitch.
“In that respect he is similar to Bernardo Silva, a man with all the attributes of a No 10 but who can play that deeper role so effectively when asked to do so by Pep Guardiola.
Bravery is about making the difficult pass rather than the safe pass. Bravery is about demanding the ball in a tight situation, just a few seconds after you have lost it. I see that bravery in Maddison.
“People say he is arrogant. I prefer to see it as a certain swagger and if I was a manager I would want to see that swagger in the player whom I asked to do one of the hardest jobs on the pitch.”
Cole’s analysis throughout the piece is slightly muddled, as elsewhere he compares Maddison to deeper playmakers such as Jorginho and Luka Modric.
England still do not have that type of player, but they do have huge quality in forward areas and those technical players can win games for them.
Maddison’s transfer value could go even further through the roof if he shines at the World Cup, although the ‘sensational‘ star’s dwindling contract situation at Leicester muddies the waters somewhat.