James Maddison hits back at Gary Neville over England selection claims

James Maddison hit out at Gary Neville's line of questioning with the midfielder rebuffing suggestions that he is being overlooked for England due to claims he "wouldn't be a good traveller".

Maddison was the star of the show for Leicester City on Monday night, scoring twice and grabbing an assist against Nottingham Forest to help his team to their first win of the season.

His performances reignited the debate about why the midfielder has not been called up to England's squad by Gareth Southgate since 2019, with the in-form 25-year-old now contributing 27 Premier League league goals since the start of last season, the second highest after Harry Kane.

Maddison still hopes to force his way into Southgate's 26-man squad for this winter's tournament in Qatar but asked by Neville during his post-match Sky Sports interview about suggestions he would be a poor "traveller" if left out of the matchday squad, the Englishman replied: "I've never seen anything like that, but that's almost questioning my personality and my professionalism, which is obviously quite insulting. I've never seen anything like that."

Maddison has earned just one cap for England, in a Euro 2020 qualifier against Montenegro in 2019, with the likes of Phil Foden, Jack Grealish and Mason Mount preferred ahead of him by Southgate.

"I'm not naive. I know there's top, top players in the forward areas. But I have a self-belief and a confidence that I'm a top player and I can be in that category," he added.

"I've got to have the mindset of 'I'll force my way in. I think there could be a space for me so I'll just keep working hard, producing performances for Leicester and the gaffer here and see where it leaves me."

Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers also rebutted claims about Maddison not being a team player, saying he could be a "game-changer" for the Three Lions in Qatar.

"I would really hope there's a place for a player like that in a squad," he said. "Someone so talented and such a hard worker and such a team player.

"Phil Foden is an amazing talent. Mason Mount I really like. Jack Grealish is a different type, but this is a player who can come into a game and change the course of a game.

"How would he travel with the squad? He would be amazing. He's very much a team player. If he wasn't starting a game, to have that on the bench to come into maybe a tight World Cup game is what a team like England needs."