Spurs struggled last season, securing survival on the final day and finishing just two points above the relegation zone. Maddison said it was tough not to be able to help out.
“We probably struggled a little bit for creativity and I’m watching the games thinking, ‘what would I be doing there?’,” he said.
Despite those tough experiences, the midfielder described how Italian head coach Roberto de Zerbi helped lift the mood at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after taking over in March.
“He’s very clever. He’s very tactical. He’s obsessed with football, you can see that,” said Maddison.
“But to be honest, when he first came in – in comparison to pre-season and what we’re training now – he didn’t want to make it too complicated. He just wanted us to get the love back for playing football.”
One of the first things the Italian did, revealed Maddison, was to organise a team meal, where alcohol was allowed.
The 29-year-old described De Zerbi telling his team: “We’re all going to be drinking alcohol, we’re all going to be having a good night.”
Maddison explained: “He wanted us to have a night where we all just relax.
“That feeling that we got made everyone feel more knitted together, straight away.”
Another thing De Zerbi did early on in his tenure was to put Maddison on the bench.
“I was almost like, ‘I’m not ready to play yet, boss’,” the midfielder said.
“But he said no. He said I can come on the bench in my slippers if I want. He just wanted me around the group and he thought that would benefit the group. I took that as a massive compliment and just acted as if I was part of the bench, part of the team.
“I’m not saying that’s the reason why, but we managed to steer clear of the danger, which was a good feeling.”
The midfielder made his return against Leeds on 11 May, but he has not been risked in pre-season so far. Despite that, Maddison remains confident for the season ahead.
“I’m working so hard to try and be fully fit and available for the majority of the season,” he said.
“I want just a fully fit, healthy season where I can just enjoy football. Because if I’m fully fit and I’m healthy, then I know what I’m capable of. And I know that I can affect games more than a lot of players in this league. So, let’s just hope for that.”