Madison, who has finally returned to the court after a long absence due to injury, said: "My mentality has become stronger than ever before."

Tottenham Hotspur, nicknamed the "Lilywhites," drew 1-1 with Leeds United, nicknamed the "White Army," in a key match of the 36th round of the 2025/26 Premier League season, after a goal from Matisse Ter. James Maddison, returning from a long injury layoff, said the recovery period was really tough, but his mental fortitude has improved significantly.

In the match against Leeds United, Pedro Polo's corner kick in the 50th minute of the second half was cleared, and Matthias Ter received the ball at the edge of the penalty area and fired a long-range shot into the net, giving Tottenham Hotspur a 1-0 lead.

In the 70th minute, Leeds United took a free kick. Matisse Tel's bicycle kick cleared the ball, striking Ampadu in the head. After VAR intervention, the referee awarded Leeds United a penalty. Calvert-Lewin then converted the penalty, leveling the score at 1-1 for Leeds United.

Ultimately, Tottenham Hotspur were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Leeds United.

Maddison suffered an injury during the Europa League semi-final against Bodø/Glimt last May. His injury worsened during a friendly match in South Korea, leading to surgery and causing him to miss many games this season.

Tottenham midfielder James Maddison said, "In my mind, it all goes back to that Europa League semi-final when I suffered a partial tear of my anterior cruciate ligament against Bodø/Glimt."

“At the time, the external experts told me that I didn’t need surgery, only rehabilitation training. But obviously the situation was not ideal, the injury had not fully recovered, and I eventually had to undergo full surgery, which is what happened later in South Korea.”

Madison also said, "This year has been really tough for me mentally, but now I've reached the end of the tunnel, so I can look back on that experience with some relief because I'm stronger than ever after going through all of this."

"Physically, I feel great right now, so this moment will be etched in my memory forever, especially the warm welcome I received from the Tottenham Hotspur fans."

In addition, Tottenham Hotspur manager De Zerbi said, "This is great news for us. He is an exceptional player in terms of both ability and personality, and I hope he can become a key figure in the team."

“I spoke with him about his physical condition and how much playing time he could get, and it turned out he actually played more minutes than he said. We are happy for him, and I think the team is on the right track.”

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