James Maddison has promised to fill the creative void at Tottenham after he admitted to a sense of inevitability about joining the club. The England international completed a £40million move to Spurs from Leicester in June and will make his debut in Sunday’s Premier League opener away to Brentford. It will mark the start of a new era for Tottenham with a huge sense of mixed emotions amongst the fanbase after Harry Kane’s transfer to Bayern Munich was finalised on Saturday. While Kane’s departure is a bitter pill to swallow, there remains optimism about the attacking brand of football new manager Ange Postecoglou will try to implement and excitement around signings like Maddison. Speaking at a TNT Sports event last week before Kane’s departure, Maddison said: “When I was speaking to my agent about moving clubs and you come to a place where you need to make decisions, where you want to go and what you think fits best, I could actually see myself playing for Spurs. “There’s a little window for me at Tottenham Hotspur, a creative player that they’ve always had, maybe not had in recent years. “I could definitely see myself, when making the decision, playing for Tottenham, in that kit, in that stadium and being the creative player I know I can be. “I’ve always had a strong self belief and I’ll always back myself and my own ability to succeed. It hasn’t failed me so far so I will continue to have that mindset and attitude. I just saw myself playing at Tottenham.” Maddison, 27, had been tracked by Spurs since he was a teenager at Coventry and following spells with Norwich and Leicester, he will finally wear the white of Tottenham. He appears the natural heir to Christian Eriksen, who wore the crown as the team’s chief creator until his departure in 2020. Kane has carried the creative burden alongside his goalscoring exploits in recent seasons under the pragmatic football of Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte, but his exit on the eve of the season will further put the onus on Maddison. “There was interest that never really fully materialised for whatever reason,” Maddison reflected on Spurs’ past interest. “When I spoke to the chairman (Daniel Levy), he shared with me that he was a fan of mine and had followed my career for a while. That was obviously nice to hear. “Sometimes things don’t always work out and you can’t just like a player and get them, it doesn’t always work like that. It is a little bit more complicated than that, but it was nice to hear and that there had been interest. “You do see sometimes hear rumours and paper talk and stuff, but when it did materialise and I ended up speaking to the manager and chairman, it was a thing I was flattered by and I’m really happy to be at Tottenham.” If Maddison buys into the notion that he fits in at Spurs, he has a similar opinion of new boss Postecoglou, who made the former Leicester playmaker one of his vice-captains on Saturday. Postecoglou will make his Premier League bow at Brentford and while his name does not carry the same weight that Mourinho and Conte did, there seems no doubt fans will quickly get on board if his bold, attacking style can translate into results. Maddison added: “I think that’s why he’s at Tottenham as well because of how he likes to play. “It kind of suits Tottenham and maybe what they lacked a little bit with managers of recent times. The club has obviously had some big name managers and the type of football I imagine Spurs fans want to see has been a little bit lacking. “But the quality is there to be an attacking team. The players are there to do it and the manager made no hesitation on the way he wants to play.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Harry Kane makes debut as Bayern Munich suffer defeat in German Super Cup Late Thomas Ramos penalty earns France victory over battling Scotland Steve Borthwick to ‘wait and see’ on England captain Owen Farrell’s suspension

Stephen Kenny is confident he leaves behind a “great job” for someone else after his contract as Republic of Ireland manager was not renewed. Kenny’s side finished fourth in their Euro 2024 qualifying group, winning just two of eight matches, and after Tuesday’s 1-1 friendly draw with New Zealand the Football Association of Ireland made the swift announcement it would not be extending his stay. The 52-year-old’s three-and-a-half-year reign brought huge change, but crucially not enough wins, and while opinions will differ on his legacy he firmly believes the squad he has reshaped – Kenny has handed competitive debuts to 26 players during his time in charge – will serve his successor well. “Listen, I think it’s a very exciting squad. I think it’s a great job now, it’s an absolutely great job now with the talent, but talent with experience – and they’ll get better between now and the Nations League,” he said, speaking before the news was announced. “It’s not until next September now, but they’ll have much more club experience under their belt as well and I think if you picked your best squad there with everyone fit, there’s a lot of talent in it and I think it’s a very good job now, that’s the way I feel.” Kenny has had little choice but to blood a new generation of attacking players, in particular with David McGoldrick’s retirement in November 2020, prompting him to turn to Adam Idah, Michael Obafemi and Chiedozie Ogbene and later the blossoming talent of Evan Ferguson and Celtic winger Mikey Johnston. However, while there have been creditable performances and near misses – Portugal needed a last-gasp double to deny Ireland a famous World Cup qualifier victory in Faro in September 2021 – a return of just six wins in 29 competitive matches represents a damning statistic. Those who questioned Kenny’s appointment in the first place cite that as vindication for their reservations, while even those who have supported him have eventually had to concede that, whatever good he has done, it has not been rewarded with the wins, draws and points he needed to keep his job. Asked if he would have done anything differently, he said: “Listen, I have no regrets, but did I get everything right? No, I didn’t, of course I didn’t. “What I had to do in the first period, I don’t think anyone would have been able to deal with it, it was so difficult. But that’s the way it is. “Listen, it’s been a massive, massive privilege and I’ve understood that every day. I have no regrets, but did I get everything right? No, I didn't, of course I didn't. Departing Reublic manager Stephen Kelly “Yes, there’s been a lot of criticism, but listen, now’s not the time. It’s a small community, the Irish football community and it can be quite political and that’s the disappointing aspect.” The FAI said “now is the right time for change” ahead of friendly matches taking place in March and June 2024 and the recruitment process for a new head coach begins immediately. “Over the period of his tenure, Stephen and his staff have worked tirelessly to create the right environment to support the development of our senior men’s team, and we are hugely grateful for that considerable contribution,” said FAI chief executive Jonathan Hill. “Stephen has also overseen an important period of transition for our senior men’s national team and has given debuts to a significant number of new and younger players and this will serve as a solid platform for whoever now takes this group of players forward.” Read More Stephen Kenny leaves role as Ireland manager after contract is not renewed Owen Farrell not planning to end his England career any time soon Lionel Messi condemns treatment of Argentina fans during clash with Brazil Everton have extra motivation following points deduction – director of football What happens next for Wales as they look to book a place at Euro 2024? Clubs must be punished for failure to meet diversity requirements – Kick It Out

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