James Maddison: My free-kick prowess? It's down to my Man United and Becks boyhood love. But Spurs don't get many of them...

By Alessandro Schiavone at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

James Maddison lamented the fact that Tottenham Hotspur aren't awarded enough free-kicks and penalties in "good positions".

The dazzling playmaker's Banana free-kick past Yashin Award Winner Emiliano Martinez was only his first since the 2022/23 Premier League campaign. And that was in a Leicester City shirt!

But it was unquestionably the pick of the bunch in a four-goal galore for in-form Tottenham Hotspur against Aston Villa.

After a quiet first-half showing in which Ange Postecoglou's laborious men fell behind to an avoidable Morgan Rogers tap-in, Brennan Johnson set Tottenham on their way to a shock revival after making a surging run to the far-post to connect with Son Heung-Min's accurate delivery.

That was followed by Dominik Solanke's brace before Maddison stepped up to curl home a worldy free-kick as Unai Emery's jaded men were taken to school in north London.

Asked by Capital Football if he took a leaf out of England legend David Beckham's book, Maddison said: "Yes, I used to watch Becks.

"I think last season was the first year I ever had in my whole career that I didn't score a direct free-kick.

"I scored quite a few I reckon, maybe 15 or 16.

"It's only last year that I didn't get one, it was the first one.

"I know I can be dangerous, I just probably haven't shown it to Spurs fans yet.

"To be honest I don't feel I have had that many good opportunities for whatever reason.

"We don't seem to get direct free-kicks from good positions or penalties!

"I feel like, coincidentally probably, but we just haven't had that many good positions for free-kicks and penalties as well.

"That was a good position today [yesterday] and I am just happy."

Asked how much work has gone into perfecting his set-piece prowess, the flamboyant 27-year old former Leicester star said: "Twenty-five years probably!

"I love free-kicks, I always did because I loved Becks because I was a Man United fan when I was younger.

"Becks and then Cristiano who were very good at free-kicks.

"Different techniques but I used to idolize people who were good at free-kicks.

"I masterminded my technique over the years and scored a fair few of them in the Premier League.

"So I hope to get another few."