Former Tottenham striker Jermaine Defoe has been named the most underrated player in the Premier League.
The striker, who has made 363 appearances for the Spurs, scored 143 goals and supported another 29, is considered one of the best forwards in the league’s recent history.
He has featured in many Premier League clubs outside of Tottenham, including West Ham, Sunderland, Bournemouth and Portsmouth, scoring 305 goals in his career, supporting 51 more appearances in over 700 appearances in his club career. (TransferMarkt)
With plenty of experience, he works as a sports network expert and recently made a comment about the league’s most underrated player.
Jermaine Defoe says James Madison is the most underrated player in the league
He named James Madison the most underrated player of the league today, and said he will soon improve his side when he plays for Tottenham. He added that in his best form he is enough to play for England.
Talked to Livescore, he said:
“Maybe James Madison, you know, and I think you see the qualities he brings when he plays for Tottenham.
“I’m looking forward to him trying to get back to the England team. He missed out on the Euro, which was clearly a shame for him, but I think James Madison’s best version can play in the UK.”
The Madison era in Tottenham
Madison joined the Spurs in 2023 and gained a reputation as one of the league’s best midfielders, following his consistent performance at Leicester City over the years.
Signing in the 40m, he instantly shocked with the Spurs, earning a 3 in his first 10 games and supporting the 5. However, the injury derailed his season and forced him to miss out on two months of action. His form after his return was not the same, so he missed the English side of Gareth Southgate for the Euro.
This season he discovered regular play times are difficult. Ange Postecoglou used him as a team player and started 17 league games out of 27, coming out of the bench at 10.
But whenever he plays, he has a visible impact and is frustrated that some Spurs fans are not handed over to the midfielders. This led to speculation that Madison had dropped out of the manager.
Despite limited playing time, the “Brilliant” Spurs player scored 11 and supported seven games in 38 games in all competitions. It is a goal of 18 and will support it with a start of 25. This is excellent for someone who is probably not in his best form.