Gary Neville reveals the one thing Tottenham ace James Maddison must do to earn England recall

Gary Neville has challenged James Maddison to continue being as tenacious off-the-ball as the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder was against Manchester City to earn an England recall.

Maddison, 28, has not played for the Three Lions since being cut from Gareth Southgate 's European Championship squad before this summer's tournament in Germany. Interim head coach Lee Carsley did not call up the player this autumn despite Jack Grealish coming back into the squad for their Nations League campaign.

Southgate capped Maddison just seven times during his time as England manager, with three-and-a-half years separating his first and second appearances for the senior team. However, with Thomas Tuchel taking over from Carsley in the new year, another opportunity for a recall presents itself.

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Neville believes that Maddison must continue to consistently show tenacity to be a "serious" player, which the pundit believes there is potential for him to become. "Don't be the maverick, the one that people say, 'well, where did you fit him in? He's no good out of possession; he doesn't work hard," Neville said on his eponymous Sky Sports podcast.

"Don't be that player. You don't have to be because David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne and other great players that play in [the Premier League ] and around the world, Xavi, [Andres] Iniesta, think of them all that have played in that position where he played [against Man City] in that three in midfield, or the one just off the front.

"They're absolute dogs when they don't have the ball. Be a dog, be horrible. That's what I think he's proven [against Man City]; it's the best I've ever seen him defend in the second half. On behalf of his team, but also himself, and he did a fantastic job.

"But next time I watch him, I'll be looking at whether he does it or whether he just thinks, 'Ah no, I'm gonna do that.' No, don't do that.

"Carry on as you are; you'll be an England player because no one can touch him. All those players that we've got for England that are fantastic; he's amongst the best of them when he plays.

"He absolutely ran that game for the first 10 minutes of the second half, and he set the tone for Spurs to get that first goal in the second half and go 3-0 up because he got on the ball and showed courage; that's the bit, we know he can do, but then he showed the other side."