- Noni Madueke picked up criticism for leaving the field during Chelsea’s 1-1 draw
- The forward starred for England in their 3-0 win over Greece on Thursday night
- Is Harry Kane right to blast England drop-outs? LISTEN NOW: It’s All Kicking Off! Available wherever you get your podcasts. Episodes every Monday and Thursday
Noni Madueke says he was only going to the toilet during the incident that has seen him criticised for disappearing down the tunnel after being substituted for Chelsea last weekend.
The winger clearly was not happy when he was withdrawn by Enzo Maresca in the 68th minute of the 1-1 draw with Arsenal at Stamford Bridge.
He walked straight down the tunnel and his manager later defended him, but it led to an angry response among some observers.
Rio Ferdinand posted on X: ‘It’s disrespectful to your team-mates. I think the manager protecting him is mad, that’s a two-week fine!’
But Madueke said: ‘I literally went down the tunnel to go to the toilet and I came back 30 seconds later. If you watch a lot of games when I come off, I always going straight down the tunnel to go to the toilet. It is nothing major at all.’
Madueke starred for England during their 3-0 win in Greece on Thursday and laid on the opening goal for Ollie Watkins with an incisive run down the right.
Is he ready to rival Bukayo Saka for a starting spot in that position?
‘I don’t look at Bukayo like competition,’ he said. ‘I look at Bukayo as a team-mate who plays for England. I know his quality and he is a player that I look at to try and implement parts of his game into mine.
‘I don’t look at him like, “I am coming for you”. The manager will make his decision and I am happy to be part of this team, and to start to make a difference for England this early on in my career is great.
‘I feel like I did my job. I created the first goal and I was a threat pretty much until I came off. That is what I try to bring every time I step on the pitch.’
