Neal Maupay has admitted he has not spoken to James Maddison since mimicking the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder's trademark darts celebration during a Premier League match in January 2024 — and says he has zero regrets about doing it.

The Marseille forward scored in the first half at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium while representing Brentford, and immediately commemorated the moment by impersonating Maddison's iconic dart-throwing gesture in front of the home crowd. Tottenham won the match 3-2.

A spur-of-the-moment decision

Maupay, who previously played for Brighton & Hove Albion, told FourFourTwo that the celebration was entirely unplanned. "I don't usually plan celebrations because I like to react to my emotions," he explained. "I just go with the flow of the game and how I feel at the time."

The Marseille striker insists there was never any hostility towards Maddison behind the gesture. The two had faced each other nine times before that January clash, often crossing paths when Maddison was representing Leicester City, and their relationship had always been cordial. "When I faced him while he was at Leicester, we were always friendly with each other," Maupay said. "But in this game, with the atmosphere and seeing the fans in the front row, I just wanted to do his celebration."

The aftermath

The incident ignited a brief exchange between the two men after the final whistle. Maddison, speaking to TNT Sports, took a pointed jab at Maupay's scoring record: "He probably hasn't scored enough goals in the last couple of years for his own celebration, so he probably had to copy mine!" Maupay fired back via Instagram, reminding followers that he had more goals and fewer relegations to his name.

Despite the back-and-forth, Maupay says there is no lingering animosity. "I actually haven't spoken to him about it since," he told FourFourTwo. "From what I heard, he wasn't too happy about it."

That knowledge has done nothing to change Maupay's stance. "From my point of view, I think it was a good celebration and if I had to do it again, I would," he said — leaving little doubt that the Marseille forward's mischievous streak remains very much intact.