England cut will devastate Maddison but his case for inclusion was weak | David Hytner
Tottenham’s showman midfielder lacks the form and body of work to be ahead of others in final Euro 2024 analysis
As James Maddison digests the shattering news, as he comes to terms with how Gareth Southgate has cut him from the England squad for Euro 2024, it was difficult not to recall the buildup to the previous major tournament when everything was different.
Before the 2022 winter World Cup in Qatar, the Tottenham midfielder had been the player everybody wanted Southgate to pick, a cause célèbre. Then at Leicester, Maddison was in the form of his life, his 22 Premier League goal involvements in the calendar year had been bettered by only Harry Kane, Kevin De Bruyne and Son Heung-min.
