James Maddison of Tottenham Hotspur scored the first goal in their Premier League match against Manchester United and gave the camera a “shush” celebration. Fans have speculated as to whom the Englishman was referring to as he spun away in joy.
Ange Postecoglou’s team drew first blood in the 13th minute as Ruben Amorim and his entourage looked down the barrel when the two teams faced off in north London on Sunday afternoon. The winner of the match jumped Everton and Crystal Palace into 12th position.
After struggling to stop Lucas Bergvall’s poor shot, the midfielder, who was once with Leicester City, pounced the quickest on Andre Onana’s feeble parry and placed it into the Cameroonian’s net. However, Maddison’s celebration after the goal has fans buzzing.
As previously said, the celebration has swiftly gained attention on social media because, following his signature dart-throwing celebration, he put his finger to his lips and peered straight down the camera lens. And because of Roy Keane’s not-so-subtle jab at Maddison, one of the highest-paid English football players in the world, followers on the internet assume that it was meant at him.
📸 – JAMES MADDISON SILENCING THE HATERS! pic.twitter.com/GmOjMPyIHK
— TheEuropeanLad (@TheEuropeanLad) February 16, 2025
Keane asked if Maddison, 28, could be that man for an underperforming Postecoglou when talking about which Tottenham returns could assist them see an improvement in performances and results. The former midfield player who is now a pundit stated on the latest episode of The Overlap:
Wait a moment. Maddison was pulled off when we saw him at Tamworth. Tamworth is not in the league. “Maddison is the man,” many say, but when will he take the initiative? He was demoted with Leicester and will soon be demoted with Spurs!
“Maddison isn’t bad when he’s not playing darts, but if you think he’s going to return and help the Spurs finish in the top six, you’re in a bad place!” As Ian Wright and Gary Neville quickly apologised for their co-host’s comments, Keane went on.
He went on: “He’s a talented player, but if you were a Spurs player in the locker room and Madison returned to the team, you wouldn’t be thinking, ‘Oh Jesus, he’s back today!'” We will be all right! He can’t even make the 300-man England squad! Don’t fool yourself, everyone.
Fans have responded by claiming on X (previously Twitter) that Maddison’s celebration is being fuelled by Keane’s earlier remarks. “Roy Keane threw shade,” one person stated. Madison retained her receipts. And today, he took the call. It was a personal celebration.
Following his goal celebration, James Maddison puts his finger to his lips and looks into the camera. That must be for Roy Keane, right?
“A message for Roy Keane from Maddison.” Before a fourth fan emphasised that the time of his celebration is merely coincidence, another fan merely added. “Isn’t it a huge coincidence that Maddison scored and shied away from the camera the same week Roy Keane made fun of him on The Overlap?”
Maddison Describes Everything in His Post-Match Interview
“Today, I wanted to do my talking on the pitch.”
In the immediate aftermath, Sky Sports questioned Maddison, the match winner on Sunday afternoon, about if his celebration was aimed at any one person. He said with a wry smirk on his face:
This week, there was a slight absence of outside sounds. Listen, everyone will have their own thoughts, but I wanted to speak on the field today, so I hope that some people found it enjoyable that I won the game.
"I hope there's a certain few that enjoyed me being the match-winner today!" 👀🤫
James Maddison on his celebration after scoring against Manchester United… pic.twitter.com/mNu1asU4dU
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 16, 2025
He continued by saying that Tottenham manager Postecoglou does his best to assist his players in blocking out what well-known people frequently say online, something that he occasionally finds challenging. He also expressed how much he enjoyed answering by putting an end to the criticism.
