Roberto De Zerbi is delighted to have James Maddison back starting matches for Tottenham, and not just due to what he offers from a quality standpoint.Spurs fans have waited a very long time to see Maddison back in the starting eleven, with the attacking midfielder’s last start coming all the way back in April of 2025.There was a buzz among the fan base when the 29-year-old’s name appeared on the teamsheet against Coventry, and it did not take the England international long to show just what Tottenham have missed over the last year and a half.Just 14 minutes into the game, Maddison curled a beauty into the top corner after Mohammed Kudus laid the ball off to him, with the goal sending the home side on their way to a 3-1 win.Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty ImagesRoberto De Zerbi admits James Maddison adds something ‘different’ to Tottenham teamAnother attacker also made his long-awaited comeback on Monday, with Dejan Kulusevski coming on in the dying stages of the game to make his first appearance in over 500 days.When asked how big it is for Spurs to have Maddison and Kulusevski back, De Zerbi told Football.London: “Different players. They are different players. Different talent, different experience, different personality. With them in the dressing room, there is another atmosphere.”The Tottenham boss also praised the character his players showed in their last two games to bounce back from adversity.When asked if he saw the effect of the Marbella trip against Coventry, the Spurs boss responded: “No, the effect is the quality of the players, because Maddison is a different player. But in terms of your question, I think Man United and today the players showed a great reaction after the goal we conceded in Old Trafford, in 10 players.“And today we conceded one goal in the first time, maybe second with the first half one shot, and the second half another two. Two times they came inside of the goal area and we conceded the goal. It was tough, no? But football is like this. Life is like this. If we don’t react together in the tough moments, we have to change the sport, we have to play golf or other sports.”De Zerbi wants his players to fight for each other on the pitchTottenham’s attack suddenly now seems a lot more formidable following the return of Maddison and Kulusevski, with the Lilywhites doubling their Premier League goal tally of the season in one outing against Coventry.J. MaddisonTottenham – Premier League (2024 – 2025)Appearances31Minutes Played1817Average Rating7.33Goals9Assists7Passes1147Key Passes42Yellow Cards6Red Cards0What De Zerbi was most proud of was seeing his players fight for each other on the pitch, with the Italian stressing the importance of creating a family spirit at the club.When asked if Maddison’s return was crucial at a time when Spurs’ attackers were struggling for confidence, the 46-year-old responded: “It’s important. I think the result is important, but the most important thing can be two things. The first one, we understood we are able to win a game like other teams in the Premier League.“The second one, if we put something more than ourselves, like we have done in the last two weeks before Old Trafford, because the day before Old Trafford we had a big meeting and we spoke about the situation. We can’t accept, we can’t move on if we don’t take more responsibility.“This week was important because we stayed together, we spent time together, and they want to build, not a family, but like a family. Because during the game, if you have a problem, if there is a tough situation, a difficult situation, you have to play for your teammates, for your fans, for your brother. Not like a robot with 11 players on the pitch.”READ MORE: Tottenham player ratings vs Coventry City as 9/10 star shows he is the missing linkThe post Roberto De Zerbi says one 'different player' can transform Tottenham Hotspur's season appeared first on Spurs Web.