Claude Puel wants Leicester City star James Maddison to stay focused

Claude Puel wants midfield sensation James Maddison to stay focused on his performances at Leicester City amid nascent talks of an England call-up.

Gareth Southgate was present at the St. James’ Park to watch the 21-year old do his thing, who left no stone unturned to convince the Three Lions boss.

Apart from assisting Harry Maguire for Leicester’s second, Maddison had five key passes, six accurate crosses, two accurate long balls and an overall pass accuracy of nearly 87% (45/52 passes completed). If Southgate wasn’t impressed yesterday, he never will be.

The international break nearly upon us, it is not long before the England squad is announced for the UEFA Nations League games against Croatia (H) and Spain (A); however, Claude Puel doesn’t feel that it’s something to think about for Maddison at the moment, and that he “must keep his focus and concentration without being disturbed”.

Speaking after the 2-0 win over against Newcastle United, he said:

"“James continues to improve and be clinical and he needs to keep his head on his shoulders because it is important to keep a good consistency.“He has made a good start in the Premier League but to continue this way he must keep his focus and concentration without being disturbed.“He must perform for his club and after we will see what happens in the future, if he gets a call from the national team. But the most important thing is to stay focused and play with consistency.“It is not to me to say if he is ready. He has attributes to become an international player, but it is not for me to say. I just want him to stay focused on doing well for his club.”"

Southgate could be guilty of heresy if he decides against picking Maddison. He has been remarkable in the Premier League, excelling in just about every single aspect that England’s midfielders lacked at the World Cup. The former Norwich City midfielder has also improved his defensive game, averaging 1.4 tackles and 0.4 interceptions per game.

If not now, then Maddison would definitely be called-up for the next set of international fixtures against the United States of America (H) and Croatia (H) in November. As advised by Puel, he just needs to keep his head on his shoulders until then.