Tottenham Hotspur midfielder James Maddison expressed gratitude on July 28, 2026, for the international fan support during the club's pre-season tour in Sydney, Australia.
The team is preparing for friendly matches against Sydney FC and Chelsea.
The English club will face A-League team Sydney FC at Allianz Stadium before competing against Premier League rivals Chelsea at Accor Stadium.
Both fixtures are scheduled for 10:45 a. m.
UK time.
Speaking to local media during a press gathering in Sydney, Maddison reflected on his previous visit to Australia and his initial experiences traveling with the squad.
"The first time I came to Australia was with Tottenham actually, when I first joined Spurs.
We went to Perth and Melbourne as well, for a post-season game against Newcastle.
We're excited to be here, we're looking forward to the games and it will be a good challenge for us," said Maddison.
The midfielder praised the global reach of the club and expressed appreciation for fans supporting the team across vast distances.
"It's amazing. We're followed so brilliantly worldwide.
I think every trip and every tour I've been on since I've been at the club has been...
sometimes it wows you when you arrive and you actually see the support.
We're so far away from home, we travel so far, but the support is just amazing. It makes you appreciate and be grateful that we're at this club.
It's such a massive club and we're followed brilliantly everywhere," said Maddison.
Highlighting the city's reception, Maddison noted that Tottenham had not visited Sydney in more than a decade, following a post-season appearance in May 2015.
"It's been good. We've had a couple of wanders.
The people are so friendly here.
Like I said earlier, we're followed so well, the people are so friendly and so passionate and so looking forward to the football.
It's been a while since we've been here - over 10 years, I think, since we've been in Sydney (it was post-season, May 2015).
We met some fans when they arrived. They had come from other parts of Australia, which is also long travel.
I get the feeling there's excitement for us to be here.
We're looking forward to playing in front of the fans and putting on a show for them," said Maddison.
Regarding squad preparations, Maddison emphasized the importance of the pre-season schedule in building momentum for their opening Premier League match against Brentford on August 22.
"Preparation, it's just great preparation.
It's the only chance we get to come on these trips and these tours to see our fans around the world.
We're preparing for the first game of the season against Brentford (22 August). It's a big season for us under a new manager.
We want to have a successful season. We need to be better than the last couple of seasons.
This is all preparation leading to that first game.
The games against Sydney and Chelsea, we're just stepping up the preparation and what we've been working on, creating the team how we want to play and the style we want to play," said Maddison.
The playmaker detailed the team's tactical focus under the new managerial structure aimed at improving domestic performance.
"The manager is very clear that the goals are to be better, to play better football, to be passionate, to be proud to play for this club.
I think if we listen to his style, the way he wants, his principles, I think if you keep the short-term targets of trying to be better and trying to implement the way he will play, the long-term targets will be better.
It's just a matter of still learning the way he plays.
As a player, he's a coach we want to play for because he loves everything with the ball, very attacking.
I'm really excited," said Maddison.
