With four matches remaining of a woeful top-flight campaign, Tottenham’s season rests on the Europa League as they attempt to make their way to the final to meet either Manchester United or Atletico Bilbao. Maddison first spoke on what a huge game it is for Spurs, especially after such a dire season.
The season rests on European success
"It's huge. When you get to the end of your career and you look back, there's not many times a player has been in European semi-finals. Maybe once or twice if you are lucky.
"We need to use that - we are in the final four in a massive competition in Europe and use that to have a great tie on Thursday and in Bodo as well.
"We've got a real special opportunity. There's obviously been a lot of talk about form and being a poor season, but we have the opportunity to do something very special. We've earned it and we deserve to be here. It is a challenge we are going to relish."
Maddison needs to be a leader in Tottenham's side
The 28-year-old also opened up about his role as a senior player and how he can use his experience of winning competitions such as the Premier League and FA Cup to help motivate and inspire such a young side.
"You want to feel the hurt and a little bit embarrassed of how Sunday went. Losing 5-1 in any game is embarrassing. Liverpool obviously won the Premier League on the day and it was a negative day (for us) as a club.
"My job as a senior player is to almost not accept the fact that we were poor and we cannot go forward like that because the league is important and it gives you momentum for Europe, but also have the feeling of trying to put it to one side.
"We've got a lot of young players, we need positivity and you want them to feel good and ready to go into Thursday. Trying to get a nice feel about the group, it's a balancing act."
Leicester's European loss can be used as fuel
Finally, he was questioned on whether he is "ready" for his second bite at a European semi-final after Leicester were beaten by Roma in the latter stages of the Conference League in 2022.
"Definitely, I am very motivated to help the team have success. We got to a European semi-final with Leicester in the Conference League and lost to Roma over two legs.
"At the time, I didn't realise the magnitude of what we were so close to achieving, until now. It's important for myself and the team that we are ready and don't let any small detail get in the way."