James Maddison won't rush comeback for Tottenham after knee surgery

The 28-year-old suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury to his right knee during Tottenham's pre-season friendly against Newcastle in South Korea on 3 August, a match that doubled as Son Heung-min's farewell for the club.

The setback came just weeks after Maddison had recovered from a medial ligament problem in the same knee, which ruled him out of the Europa League final last season.

In a YouTube video released on Friday, Maddison shared footage of his first three weeks of recovery, including his emotional first visit back to the club's Hotspur Way training base. He thanked team-mates Rodrigo Bentancur and Cristian Romero for comforting him in the immediate aftermath of the injury.

"Cristian just said, 'We're family,'" Maddison revealed. "And Rodri reminded me his own recovery was longer because he damaged his meniscus too, which I didn't. It helped me put things into perspective."

Maddison confirmed he is aiming for an April return, around eight months after surgery, but stressed the importance of coming back fully fit. "I've already looked at the average time out. Six months isn't even a question," he said. "I'm 28, turning 29 when I return. These are my peak years. I need to come back right and stay fit."

The midfielder's optimism has been matched by encouragement from his team-mates, with Maddison jokingly challenging Pape Matar Sarr to hit new heights this season. "You're my favourite player right now," he told the Senegalese international. "You look sharp, I think you can get 15 goals this season. Promise me that and I'll get you a gift."

Sarr smiled and replied: "Yeah, I'll do it for you."

Maddison's leadership and presence have clearly been missed by Tottenham, who are hoping their playmaker can make his comeback in time to influence the final stages of their Premier League campaign in the spring.