James Maddison keen to extend loan spell with Aberdeen

James Maddison says his loan spell at Aberdeen has given him everything he wanted. Picture: SNS.James Maddison says his loan spell at Aberdeen has given him everything he wanted. Picture: SNS.
James Maddison says his loan spell at Aberdeen has given him everything he wanted. Picture: SNS.
James Maddison would be happy to stay at Aberdeen for the rest of the season.

The Norwich midfielder’s loan spell ends after the festive fixtures but the 20-year-old is open to extending it if Canaries boss Alex Neil decides it is the best course of action for his development.

“I’m enjoying every minute of being here,” Maddison said ahead of tonight’s Ladbrokes Premiership clash at Motherwell.

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“I have got exactly what I wanted coming here. If I did go back in January I would go back a better player, especially with the help of the manager and the team.

“But that’s a conversation that I’m sure Alex Neil and Derek McInnes will have at some point. I haven’t really thought about it because there are so many games at the minute and I’m just focused on Motherwell. But I just want to play football. I love football, it’s my job, I want to play games.

“Alex Neil will decide what’s best for me. If he thinks that is going back to help the team there or staying here to play games, I will trust his judgment.

“I have spoken to him recently about football things. There’s no rush, especially with the winter break. It’s out of my hands. When the time comes, if I have to make a decision, I will take it for the best of my footballing ability.

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“But I have enjoyed every minute here and if that means staying for the rest of the season then I’m happy to do so.”

Maddison’s enjoyment has been tested of late with Aberdeen falling seven points behind second-placed Rangers after winning just once in four games since their Betfred Cup final defeat by Celtic.

That run has prompted some rare criticism of manager McInnes but the Dons boss has vowed to ignore outside influences.

“I don’t put myself out there to read too much but I’m aware that there’s a reaction and comment,” McInnes said. “That happens when you don’t win games. It’s important for me to see that’s a sideshow and what I can affect is just working with the players.

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“We fully expect to have criticism if you don’t get results. That’s what happens when you work at a club like this.

“It’s nothing where we have not been before. We have huffed and puffed and not got any momentum since the cup final. The two defeats, I think, have been quite harsh on the team: the performances were good. So sometimes you can over-analyse things.

“There are certain things we can do better and it’s results over performances most of the time. But I think the players have done extremely well, they have proved themselves over the past three and a half years and we will go on to prove ourselves again.

“We recognise we are here to win games and we haven’t won enough back to back of late. It’s been a wee bit stop-start so we are looking forward to the next three games to get some momentum.”

Midfielder Craig Storie is set to join St Mirren on loan if a deal can be finalised. McInnes added: “It’s not signed and sealed but it’s likely he will go to St Mirren until the end of the season.”