Leicester City midfielder James Maddison has revealed how the pain and rejection from the previous Three Lions team spurred him on to keep working harder in a bid to make an appearance for the England national team.

The 25-year-old was called up for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar as part of the 26-man list but had just a single cap for the country previously. His only cap was in November 2019, and he never made it to the team for last summer’s Euros.

The player will hope to add to the Euro qualifier against Montenegro in 2019, the only cap he has so far when England faces Iran in England’s opening game on Monday at the World Cup.

Maddison, who has scored seven goals and four assists in 13 games, was injured in Leicester City’s last Premier League game in a 2-0 win over West Ham.

However, the attacking midfielder reminisced on his last couple of years on the periphery of the national team squad.

“I didn’t think it was a closed door, and the opportunity had gone. It was just about staying hungry and almost using rejection as not being called motivation. The disappointment in previous years of not being selected is spread across the family because your family wants what’s best for you. But on the opposite end, the happiness comes too.” Maddison said.

England is in Group B alongside Iran, Wales, and the United States of America. Gareth Southgate hopes the team will get to the final four, which they got to in Russia four years ago only to lose to Croatia and Belgium in the semi-finals and third-place matches, respectively.

The Three Lions also got to the final of the Euro 2020 last summer and lost to Italy on penalties.

Daniel Ademiju Idowu