Gareth Southgate gives honest view on James Maddison after handing him 15-minute cameo for England

Gareth Southgate has offered his honest opinion on James Maddison after handing him just 15 minutes of game time during the international break.

Maddison has enjoyed an impressive first season at Tottenham Hotspur, with his performances earning him several England call-ups.

However, despite recovering from an ankle injury and picking up where he left, Southgate handed the midfielder just 15 minutes of game time in England's two recent friendlies.

Maddison was an unused substitute in Saturday's 1-0 defeat to Brazil, and was given just over a quarter of an hour at the end of the 2-2 draw with Belgium on Tuesday.

The 27-year-old certainly made the most of his opportunity though, showing off his talent with a moment of genius in the dying moments of the match.

With England heading for a second straight home defeat, Maddison won the ball in the Belgium penalty area and produced a superb pass with the outside of his boot to set up Jude Bellingham to equalise.

The Spurs star's contribution did not go unnoticed by his manager, who praised him after the match.

"I thought James Maddison when he came on had a very good impact," Southgate told beIN Sports.

"Jarrod Bowen had an excellent game. So there were a lot of very, very good performances."

Maddison assisted Bellingham's late equaliser (Getty)

Former Leicester star Maddison has been one of the best midfielders in the Premier League for a while now, but his cameo on Tuesday was only his sixth appearance for the Three Lions while his assist was his first goal contribution.

Southgate's apparent reluctance to use Maddison is likely due to the manager's preference to operate with two holding midfielders.

Bellingham locked in as the team's more advanced midfielder, the only space in the side is alongside Rice, a deeper position Maddison has never really played in at club level.

Kobbie Mainoo's impressive displays in both games could give Southgate the answer he's been looking for.

Either way, it could be difficult for Maddison to push himself into the starting XI for Euro 2024.

Topics: England, Gareth Southgate, James Maddison, Jude Bellingham, Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur

Alex Brotherton

Alex Brotherton is a Sports Trends Writer at SPORTbible. He has previously worked with publications including the Manchester Evening News, GOAL and BBC Sport. He is a football fanatic, but also dabbles in tennis and American football. He enjoys running, cooking and watching non-league football.

@alex_brotherton