It is widely known that footballers can form tight relationships with other players throughout their careers. After all, who better to relate to the trials and tribulations of the sport than those who are living it too? While most of these friendships may be with teammates, some bonds can extend beyond that.
That specifically seems to have been the case with James Maddison and five other stars with Premier League experience under their belts. The Tottenham Hotspur star once revealed that he was part of a group chat with the five players called 'The Avengers,' with members of the group even celebrating goals by flashing an 'A' symbol with their hands in reference to their friendship.
However, the fortunes of some of the members of the group have varied, with some arguably in need of a few superheroes to come and rescue their careers.
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Maddison Reveals Members of 'Avenegers' Group Chat
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Speaking to EA Sports in 2020, as per The Sun, Maddison revealed that the five other players involved in the group chat were former Leicester City teammate Ben Chilwell, fellow England internationals Jack Grealish, Dele Alli and Ross Barkley, as well as Aston Villa skipper John McGinn.
City man Grealish confirmed this himself, and claimed that he was among the more vocal participants in the group, telling UMM: "Me or Madders. On that point (Maddison) is on the group chat 24/7. Someone writes in it and then bam, he's ready straight away. Constantly in there. Then there's people like Chilly (Ben Chilwell), he'd be online and he wouldn't read it."
On why the name Avengers was chosen for the group, Grealish explained: "It was when we went to Dubai last year on that winter break. Have you watched the film Avengers? I haven't. But that's like loads of people or something, like a group?
"I didn't even know that (the Avengers film is an elite group of individuals). I don't even know who put it together actually."
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Where the 'Avengers'Are Now
Some are in a far more precarious position than others
jack grealish
The 2024–25 season led to mixed results for the collective. For Maddison and Chilwell, it brought unlikely silverware, with the playmaker lifting the Europa League with Tottenham while his former teammate collected the FA Cup during a loan spell with Crystal Palace.
McGinn and Barkley helped guide Aston Villa to European football for the third season running, though the Villans just missed out on Champions League qualification. For the remaining two, however, things have been far less fruitful.
Dele Alli had what many would consider to be one of the worst debuts of all time after making his long-awaited return to football with Italian side Como - managed by Cesc Fabregas. The former Spurs wonderkid was sent off just several minutes after entering the fray.
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It's almost been two months since the former Tottenham and England star was sent off after 10 minutes against AC Milan.
And then there's Grealish. Despite winning all there is to win at Manchester City, he has found himself out of favour at the Etihad, having been left out of the squad that travelled to the FIFA Club World Cup.
All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt - accurate as of 21/06/2025.