James Maddison made his first appearance of the season for Tottenham against Leeds United at home.
Tottenham Hotspur still have plenty of work to do to secure their Premier League status, but their situation looks much better than it did a few weeks ago.
Spurs moved two points above the drop zone after a 1-1 draw with Leeds United on Monday evening. The fixture against Leeds United at home marked the return of James Maddison from an ACL injury. The 29-year-old finally made his long-awaited comeback earlier, coming on as an 85th-minute substitute.
The England international ruptured his ACL in a pre-season friendly against Newcastle United at the start of August 2025. It has been extremely frustrating for James Maddison to have to sit on the sidelines for more than nine months through a nightmare campaign. On his return, the creative midfielder also got a hug from Leeds United manager Daniel Farke, who managed him at Norwich City, in a really emotional moment on the sidelines.
James Maddison reveals enduring “dark days” after ACL surgery
Spurs fans have been eagerly waiting for Maddison’s return, and when the moment came, the entire Tottenham Hotspur Stadium erupted. There was a huge roar and ovation when he stepped on the pitch for the first time for competitive action since last May.
Now, the Tottenham playmaker has opened up on his long and difficult journey back from his ACL injury. The Englishman revealed that there were some “dark days” in his life after undergoing knee surgery, but now feels in a good place both physically and mentally.
“There have been some dark days in the last year, especially since the surgery,” Maddison was quoted by The Standard.
“It has been a really tough year for me mentally, but I’m at the end of the tunnel now, so I can kind of look back on that with fondness because I’m as mentally strong as I can after going through that.”
Maddison also admitted that the reception he got from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium faithful after emerging on the touchline will “live with him forever.”
“Physically, I feel really good, so the moment personally is something that will live with me forever, the reception Spurs fans gave me,” he added.
Maddison could make a difference for Tottenham
It has been a long road to recovery for Maddison. He has faced several challenges and setbacks during this tough phase in his career, but the creative midfielder has worked his way to fitness and finally made his first appearance of the season in the home fixture against Leeds.
The England international justifiably looked rusty and slow, but he almost made a difference deep into stoppage time by winning the penalty. The referee waved away Maddison’s penalty claims, and the VAR did not intervene either. De Zerbi revealed after the game that Maddison played more than he was initially expected, which bodes well ahead of the remaining two fixtures.
With more than a week’s rest, the Tottenham No.10 will be hoping to clock more minutes and make a telling impact against bitter rivals Chelsea in a crucial fixture at Stamford Bridge next week.