Leicester City midfielder James Maddison has given fans a hint of one of his non-football talents – and sent a message to WWE in the process.
On the pitch, Maddison is one of the Foxes’ top performers. This season, he has been in top form, scoring eight goals and five assists in 28 Premier League appearances.
The tally matches his exact returns from last season, from three fewer games. In addition, the 25-year-old has scored three goals in six games in the Europa Conference League. Leicester are now preparing for a semi-final clash against Jose Mourinho‘s Roma.
Earlier this week, Foxes boss Brendan Rodgers backed Maddison to win an England recall. He hasn’t played for his country since 2019.
Rodgers said: “All you can do is perform consistently well, work hard and be humble and keep proving a point.
“I think he has been consistent for a long period of time. His contribution to the game and his efficiency in terms of goals and his assists, but also his pressing and his work.
“He can do no more [to get into the England squad]. He is obviously playing at a very high level and contributing in big games.
Rodgers added: “He is playing at a really high level, then it is just all about choice. He can’t do any more, other than just stay consistent and focused.”
James Maddison channels his inner WWE wrestler
Alongside working hard to improve as a footballer, Maddison has also been practicing his WWE skills.
Fans of wrestling in the UK have been hugely excited by this week’s announcement that WWE will be arriving in Cardiff, Wales, for a ‘major stadium event’ in September.
Read more: WWE Cardiff 2022: All we know so far about the ‘major stadium event’
The event is expected to feature current Undisputed Champion Roman Reigns, Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair and Scotland’s very own Drew McIntyre, amongst others.
Another WWE star that could potentially feature is Edge. The ‘Rated R Superstar’ defeated AJ Styles at WrestleMania 38 this month, although he now wrestles much more sporadically than he did during his first WWE run.
Read: AJ Styles left bloodied after WrestleMania 38 ‘stage incident’
Ahead of the event in Cardiff, James Maddison decided to impersonate Edge in a hilarious TikTok video from what appears to be his garden, alongside a friend.
The video starts with the 25-year-old replicating Edge’s iconic entrance. Then, he drops to one knee and gestures towards his stricken opponent.
In true ‘Rated R Superstar’ style, Maddison charges towards his friend and delivers what looks to be an inch-perfect Spear, slamming him down to the ground.
The footage is even accompanied by some classic Michael Cole commentary. It refers to Edge’s return at the Royal Rumble event in 2020, and his subsequent landing of a Spear on McIntyre.
The hilarious TikTok was captioned: “WWE, you know where I am…”
It is not unusual for footballers to appear in wrestling events. Wayne Rooney once participated in a segment with Preston North End fan Wade Barrett during a live episode of Raw in England. Norwich favourite Grant Holt, meanwhile, once entered a 40-man Royal Rumble – and won.
Read more: The footballers who have appeared in wrestling events
With that in mind, could we see Maddison make an appearance at the Cardiff event? Fans will be eager to find out.
Featured Image Credit: Getty
