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Maddison: De Gea showed me the step up

15 Sep 2018

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Leicester midfielder says being denied a PL debut goal was proof of the tough test of the Premier League

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James Maddison says he realised the step up in quality of playing in the Premier League on his debut when David De Gea denied him a dream goal.

The 21-year-old midfielder was signed by Leicester City from Norwich City in the summer and was thrown in at the deep end with a Matchweek 1 fixture against Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Dream come true

"It was crazy," Maddison said in the video above. "I've dreamed of playing in the Premier League since I was a young boy.

"To do it at Man Utd - there is no bigger stage than Old Trafford - is a great feeling, one I won't forget."

Speaking to singer Tom Grennan, who presented him with his Premier League Debut Ball, Maddison revealed he has been pleased with how he has performed after four matches, but is not resting on his laurels.

"I've started well in the first four games," Maddison said. "It's the toughest league in the world so when you are playing against the likes of United, Man City, you are playing against the best players in the world.

"So you have to be on your game for 90 minutes."

Super save

That higher level of opposition was clear in the 29th minute of his first Premier League match, when Maddison thought he had equalised at Old Trafford.

"I had a good touch, I hit it hard, the shot was towards the corner," he recalled. "I thought when I hit, 'I've scored here.' But he [De Gea] managed to spring and get a hand to it.

"I couldn't believe it at the time but that is the step up we talked about."

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