Cottee Highlights Chilwell & Maddison's England Potential

Chilwell has risen through the Club’s ranks at a steady pace since joining the Academy at the age of 12, while Maddison is also excelling during his debut Premier League season.

While Foxes left-back Chilwell made his sixth appearance for the Three Lions on Friday, attacking midfielder Maddison continues to impress while on duty with the Under-21s set-up.

As the seniors prepare to face Montenegro at Podgorica City Stadium in UEFA European Championship qualifying on Monday, Cottee backed Chilwell to cement his status as England's first-choice left-back.

"I think he’s done fantastically well," the 52-year-old former City striker told LCFC TV earlier this year. "I’ve been keeping a keen eye on him over the last two or three seasons since he first emerged.

"I watched him come in, little glimpses. [He’s] got a fantastic left foot, great engine, and I think it was only a question of time before he actually made himself a regular at Leicester.

"He obviously had Christian Fuchs in front of him in the Premier League-winning season, but I think Ben’s been fantastic. I love attacking full-backs, the role of full-backs has changed so much now.

"It used to be about how good a defender you are, but now it’s more about getting forward, the quality of [your] delivery and being able to create things really and I think with Ben, you get all that.

"He’s slotted into the team really well and now he’s got into the England team… and when he played, he didn’t look out of place.

"He played really, really well so I think the future looks really great for him and he’s still only a young kid as well."

The ease with which Chilwell has settled to playing international football has been particularly striking for Cottee, who himself earned seven caps for the Three Lions. 

"Every step’s a big step," he added. "To get into the Leicester team is a big step and, once you’re in the team, you’ve then got to be consistent, you’ve got to stay in the team, which he’s done.

"And then once you do that, you then look to improve your performances, which he’s done, and you then look to get in the England squad.

"Every time he’s been asked to do something, he’s done it, he’s stepped up a level. To go into the England team and look so comfortable shows what a good player he is.

"It’s not easy, going to international level, it’s a big step up and the hard part is if you’re not given the opportunity, you come on as a sub here and there, but is there a better left-back than him at the moment?

"Luke Shaw has done well at times for Manchester United and there’s other good players around in that position, but if Gareth [Southgate] is thinking about playing back-four…

"I know we played with the three centre-halves in the summer in the World Cup, but if he goes to a back-four, in terms of a left-back, Ben’s got to be right up there, if not the man to play at the moment.

"You could even argue, with the three centre-halves, he could even play in that position as a left wing-back as well, so he gives the manager real alternative options."

Maddison, meanwhile, was called up to the senior squad last year and, while he's now back in the Under-21s squad, the former Norwich City man is earning yet more plaudits this season.

In 29 appearances for Leicester this season, the 22-year-old has scored six goals and provided the same number of assists for his Foxes colleagues - despite it being his maiden taste of top flight football.

Cottee continued: "Again, I’m not surprised, I live in Southend and, for some bizarre reason, my producer at Sky seems to think that Norwich is a local club to me!

"So was sent to Norwich many times over the last couple of seasons and I obviously watched James break into the team and play well for the team – and consistently play well for the team.

"The biggest compliment I can pay him is that he reminds me of a young David Beckham. Whether he’s modelled his game on him, styled his game on him, I don’t know.

"I think he’s got big similarities in terms of his set-pieces, the way that he actually addresses a football, kicks a football, the way he moves… I think there’s real similarities there.

"Technically he’s a very, very good player. I like the fact he gets on the ball, he’s not scared to take a chance and try and make things happen.

"Yes, of course, at times a manager might say ‘look, we need to shut up shop, close a game down’ and take the flair player off, which I think has happened to him a few times at Leicester this season.

"But I’m not surprised at all. I saw potential for him at Norwich and arriving at Leicester, I watched the first game of the season, when they played at Old Trafford, and he had a good game.

"As soon as I saw that, I thought ‘you know what, this kid’s going to do alright in the Premier League’.

"He’s had a really, really good season, thoroughly deserved to be called up for the England squad (in October) and I love creative midfield players and that’s what James is, he’s a really good player."

As well as Chilwell and Maddison, City have another five players within the England set-up, across three age groups - continue to check back to LCFC.com to see how they fare this week.