James Maddison has bravely opened up about the "dark days" he endured during a year-long battle with injury, revealing that he now feels "mentally strong" after finally returning to action for Tottenham Hotspur in their 1-1 draw against Leeds United on Monday.

The Spurs midfielder's struggles began during the first leg of Tottenham's Europa League semi-final against Bodo/Glimt, where he suffered a partial ACL tear. That match—a promising 3-1 victory that put Spurs on the path to a European final—would prove to be his last in the competition that season. He missed the second leg in Norway (a 2-0 win) and the final against Manchester United in Bilbao, where Tottenham lifted the trophy without him.

After a summer of rehab, Maddison appeared fully fit during Spurs' pre-season tour in East Asia and seemed ready to be a key figure under manager Thomas Frank. But disaster struck again during a 1-0 win over Arsenal in Hong Kong, where he suffered a full ACL injury that sidelined him for months. He wouldn't feature for Spurs again until Monday's hard-fought draw with Leeds.

"In my head, the injury goes back to the Europa League semi here because I did a partial ACL against Bodo/Glimt," Maddison explained. "I was told by a specialist that I wouldn't need surgery and rehab. And then it just didn't recover properly, and I needed the full surgery, which happened in South Korea."

While Maddison was sidelined, Spurs found themselves in a relegation battle—a stark contrast to their European ambitions. The midfielder admitted watching from the sidelines was agonizing. "There have been some dark days in the last year, especially since the surgery. It's been a really tough year for me mentally, but I'm at the end of the tunnel now," he said. "I can look back on it with fondness because I'm as mentally strong as I can be after going through it. Physically, I feel really good."

Maddison's return is a huge boost for a Spurs side desperate for creativity and leadership. For fans who have followed his journey, seeing him back on the pitch is a testament to resilience—and a reminder that even the toughest comebacks start with a single step.