Jamie Carragher has named James Maddison the most influential player in the Premier League this season after he played a starring role as Tottenham beat Fulham 2-0 to go top of the Premier League.
Maddison scored calmly from Heung-Min Son’s pass after the South Korean put Spurs to notch his third Premier League goal of the season.
The former Leicester star, who has also recorded five assists, was named Player of the Match and Carragher feels he has been the competition’s most standout player so far this season.
Carragher explains Maddison influence for Tottenham
“For me, he’s been probably the most influential player in the Premier League,” Carragher said on Monday Night Football. “I think he has been that influential.”
“The credit has to go to the manager. It’s his philosophy, his way of playing, but he (Maddison) has been a major part of that.”
“He has come in and taken the No 10, Harry Kane’s shirt, possibly the greatest player to have played for Tottenham. I think at one stage early on he had the captain’s armband on.”
“He is just that type of personality. Sometimes, taking a step up to a bigger club, that scrutiny is too much for players, they can’t actually handle it. It’s not their ability, it’s their mentality.”
“He can. He has embraced going to a bigger club, doing interviews with us, being in the spotlight. He absolutely loves it.”
Maddison responds to most influential player claims
Asked by Carragher afterwards if he is right to describe him as the Premier League’s most influential player this season, Maddison told Sky Sports: “That’s the aim. It’s big praise but I appreciate it.”
“Coming to a club like Tottenham is a bigger club in stature than Leicester, and I absolutely loved my time there, but the scrutiny, the pressure, the responsibility goes up a notch when you come to one of these bigger clubs. I love that and thrive off that.
“Sixty-thousand fans here today and I just love these occasions on Monday Night Football. That’s when I’m at my best.”
“I felt really good out there today and I’m happy we got the win because we’re doing really well as a team. We’ve got such a hard-working team and a great manager. I just want that to continue game on game.”
Maddison’s goal was his first at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
“I’m really happy,” he added. “All my goal contributions so far this season have been away from home, I keep seeing stats pop up about it.”
“It’s nice to get off the mark here in a convincing performance, solid win, that puts us back to the top of the table.”
“It felt a little bit disjointed, Fulham didn’t really press and our centre-backs were able to walk up the pitch with the ball almost. We expected them to press a little bit higher.”
