Revealed: Why James Maddison inherited Spurs No.10 shirt from Harry Kane despite not wanting it

The England international playmaker completed a £40 million ($50m) transfer to Spurs from Leicester during the summer transfer window of 2023. He was briefly united with Three Lions colleague Kane in north London, only to then see one of the greatest goalscorers in the business depart for Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich.

Maddison was handed No.71 during his early pre-season outings, but he was never going to settle on that spot. He was eventually awarded 10 following Kane’s move to Germany, with the 26-year-old reluctantly accepting his fate as Spurs seek to maximise profits. Maddison has said of taking on an iconic jersey: “I didn’t want the number 10 shirt to become free, to be honest, because that meant one thing. So I was definitely not waiting for the number 10 shirt. We all got given pre-season numbers - me, Solomon Manor, the new signings, Destiny Udogie. Then, when the time comes - because there are ins and outs - it was changed. The club has to sell shirts.”

While he did not actively pursue the No.10 shirt at Spurs, Maddison is happy to have that figure on his back once more – as the number means plenty to him and he has it tattooed on his arm. He added: “I didn’t want Harry to leave but when he did leave and the number 10 shirt became free and the club asked me, then of course I wanted to wear it. It’s my favourite number. I’ve got it tattooed on me, I loved that number growing up as a kid so I was never going to say no.”

Maddison has made an immediate impact at Tottenham, registering two goals and as many assists through four Premier League appearances that have delivered 10 points, and is in the England squad that is preparing to face Ukraine in a Euro 2024 qualifier and neighbours Scotland in a friendly date at Hampden Park.