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Perfect’ Maguire conducted himself brilliantly, says Maddison |
The defender has been praised for his attitude and commitment to the Foxes at a time where he seemed destined to leave for Old Trafford Leicester City midfielder James Maddison has lauded former team-mate Harry Maguire for his conduct this summer, despite seeking a move to Manchester United.
The 26-year-old did, of course, secure his much-anticipated switch to Old Trafford earlier this month and made his United debut in the 4-0 victory against Chelsea last weekend.
Often, players can use the press to facilitate transfers, or they can simply refuse to show up for training and matches to force through a deal, but Maddison has praised Maguire for not doing so, and instead claimed his behaviour was ‘perfect’ during the long-running saga.
"The way he conducted himself over the summer was fantastic and it's the perfect example for anyone going through that situation,” Maddison told Sky Sports.
"He came into training every day, trained as well as he could, was excellent in pre-season games and his focus was on Leicester.
When it came to the time to sign for Manchester United then so be it, but he conducted himself brilliantly.” Maddison himself was linked with a move to United earlier this summer, and while the former Norwich City man wasn’t drawn on his club career, he did admit that he hopes to earn a place in Gareth Southgate’s England squad over the next 12 months.
“I don't want to set long-term targets but I want to have a successful season, build on my output last year and I want the team to finish as high as we can,” he said.
"I never hide that it's my dream to play for England but it's about playing for Leicester, playing as well as I can for the gaffer and the lads and hopefully the rest will take care of itself.”
One man who has gained international recognition is Maddison’s team-mate Ben Chilwell. The full-back has been capped seven times since making his England debut in September 2018 and has overtaken the likes of Danny Rose, Luke Shaw and Ashley Young in the pecking order for the national side.
That type of quality in the Leicester ranks means Chilwell believes the Midlands club can better their ninth-place finish last season and challenge for a top-six place this time around. "It's not something that has been spoken about but it is at the back of everyone's minds and is an achievable goal," the 22-year-old said in the same interview.
"It's something that everyone at the club wants to happen this season.
"When you look at this season compared to last season it seems more competitive. We have bought players and certain positions might be a bit more crowded, but that shows the quality we have and the gaffer has said that people that train the best will play at the weekend, which has made training more intense."
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