Revealed: Why Maddison Inherited Spurs No.10 Shirt From Kane Despite Not Wanting It

James Maddison claims he “didn’t want” to take over Harry Kane’s No. 10 shirt for Tottenham, but he has provided an explanation for why he did.

The England international playmaker completed a £40 million ($50m) transfer to Spurs from Leicester during the summer transfer window of 2023. 

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Maddison 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 Maddison did not intentionally seek out the No. 10 jersey at Spurs, he is glad to once again wear it because he has a tattoo of the number on his arm and it holds a lot of significance for him.

 “I didn’t want Harry to leave, but when he did and the club asked me to wear the number 10 shirt, of course I wanted to,” he continued. My fave number is that one. Since I had that number tattooed on me as a child and adored it, I could never say no,” he said.

Maddison has had an immediate impact since joining Tottenham, recording two goals and as many assists in four Premier League games that have resulted in 10 points. He is also a member of the England team that is getting ready to play Scotland in a friendly at Hampden Park and the Ukraine in a Euro 2024 qualifier.