MusaFormer Coventry City academy manager Richard Stevens believes James Maddison could be the missing link Tottenham Hotspur need to turn their fortunes around.
Spurs are still searching for their first Premier League victory after six matches, although they showed signs of improvement in Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Manchester United at Old Trafford. Maddison featured as a substitute for the fifth time this season as he continues his recovery from a series of injury setbacks.
The 29-year-old has endured a difficult period following two serious knee injuries in 2025, including a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). However, Stevens, who worked with Maddison during his time in Coventry’s academy, is convinced the attacking midfielder has the quality to make a significant difference for Tottenham once he returns to full fitness.
Speaking ahead of Coventry’s visit to north London on Monday, Stevens told the Press Association that Maddison is eager to return to regular action and rediscover his best form.
“His driver is, ‘Am I playing 90 minutes, and can I go and score some goals and ignite the fans?’ So this injury would have hurt him a lot,” Stevens explained.
He also highlighted the midfielder’s ability to influence matches even when given limited playing time.
“Even in a 10-minute spell now, when he comes on, he takes the ball and he makes things happen.
“He makes things tick and he gets the team playing forwards. He gets the team moving up the pitch.”
Stevens believes those qualities could prove particularly valuable for Tottenham, who have struggled to find consistency during a difficult start to the campaign.
“Good grief, Tottenham have had a tough time. They’re an unbelievable football club, and you know the players they have. Maybe he’s the bit that’s going to connect everything together.
“I hope he’s going to return and he’s going to connect everything together for Tottenham because I think he has that ability to do that.”
During his 12 years overseeing Coventry’s academy, Stevens witnessed 52 young prospects make their senior debuts. Maddison was among the players who stood out, with his former coach remembering how the youngster naturally took responsibility within his age group and helped establish high standards.
Coventry’s financial difficulties more than a decade ago created opportunities for several academy graduates to break into the first team. Maddison seized his chance despite being sent off during his 12th senior appearance.
He subsequently scored in a crucial final-day victory against Crawley Town, a result that helped keep his boyhood club in League One. Just four years later, he had earned his first opportunity to represent England.
Tottenham had shown an interest in Maddison as far back as 2016, but they eventually had to wait until 2023 to bring him to north London.
His time at Spurs has since been filled with memorable highs and difficult moments. The midfielder has made 83 appearances for the club, helped them win the Europa League and experienced the pressure of a tense battle against relegation.
As Maddison prepares to face Coventry for the third time, Stevens recalled the moment he first noticed the youngster’s exceptional talent.
“James was under-11. We were away at MK Dons, and there was this pitch behind me. There was this little fella who just kind of carried the ball and twisted and turned,” he said.
According to Stevens, Maddison’s reputation quickly spread among opposition teams, who recognised the threat he posed whenever he stepped onto the pitch.
“We knew he was a good player. Every team we ever played against were always aware of him, and they knew him. And I’ve said it many times, he just loved football.
“Loved football, obsessed with it, and no surprise he has had the career he’s had.”
Stevens also praised Maddison’s maturity, insisting that his understanding of the game and willingness to take responsibility were evident long before he became an established professional.
“If you see those pictures of that 2014-15 season, he does look like a boy, but he might have been a boy in his body, but he certainly wasn’t a boy in his mentality, in his understanding of the game and his courage,” he added.
One moment that remains particularly memorable for Stevens was Maddison’s decisive contribution against Crawley during Coventry’s fight to avoid relegation.
“That goal at Crawley that year, the club were 20 minutes away from a pending relegation. And I remember he arrives in the penalty area and he punches one bottom corner.
“Local boy, lives 300 yards from the academy training ground… you couldn’t have written a more apt script, really.”
Although Coventry supporters had Maddison in their first team for just 42 appearances, the midfielder remains a player they can look back on with considerable pride. His return to face his former club is expected to be an emotional occasion, with supporters likely to give him a warm welcome.
Stevens, who now works as West Bromwich Albion’s academy manager, believes Maddison has retained the same personality despite his success in professional football.
“He hasn’t changed,” Stevens insisted.
Recalling a reunion with the midfielder in 2024, he explained how their relationship had remained just as strong despite spending several years apart.
“He came into his box after a game, jumped over the sofa, and we’d not seen each other for two or three years. And it was like he’d never been away.
“You don’t forget that. That’s a boy that is really appreciative of all the things that staff of Coventry did for him.
“Everybody’s really proud, and Coventry will be proud as well. They’ll be looking forward to playing against him, I’m sure.”
With Tottenham still searching for consistency, Maddison’s return to full fitness could be crucial to their hopes of improving their performances. If he can rediscover the creativity, confidence and attacking influence that made him such an important player before his injuries, Stevens believes he could provide the spark Spurs desperately need.
Musa
