Style Obsession, Idolizing Drogba & Bond with Hamilton
- Published
The Football Interview constitutes a new series where prominent figures from sports and entertainment join host the interviewer for candid and detailed discussions about football.
We'll explore mindset and drive, covering defining moments, career highlights and personal reflections. This series uncovers the individual beyond the player.
The Chelsea defender began training with Chelsea at the age of six and - having progressed through the youth system and into the first team - is now team leader.
The defender introduced himself to the Stamford Bridge faithful in impressive fashion, scoring on his first appearance in a 7-1 victory over Grimsby Town in September 2019.
Currently twenty-five, James' career highlights to date include making his international bow against the Welsh team in 2020, claiming the Champions League with his club in 2021, and being named club captain in 2023.
However, things have not always gone smoothly, with a series of injuries impacting him over recent years.
The athlete spoke with Kelly Somers to discuss his career highs, Thiago Silva's influence, and his relationship with multiple Formula One title winner the racing driver.
The defender discusses the veteran's influence on his career
Kelly Somers: First question: name, your origins, and your preferred coffee?
Reece James: The name is Reece James, I grew up in Mortlake, near Richmond - I expect many will know that area. My beverage is a flat white.
The host: Was it consistently a that particular coffee?
James: Not exactly, I began with, like, vanilla lattes and stuff.
The presenter: Let's start by talking football. What significance does soccer hold to you?
The defender: I mean, from a little kid, it was practically all I knew in school. I wasn't exactly the most academic student, and I just loved the sport.
Kelly: Your first recollection of participating? Is this tough to answer because it represented a significant aspect of your childhood and development?
Reece: No, just because my recollection is quite poor. My first remembrance was probably, unsure, going to watch my brother compete. He is my senior by two years than me, and he also participated as well.
Kelly: It was big in your family, wasn't it, because your dad was so heavily involved? He's a soccer trainer too, right? Tell me a little about that.
The athlete: So we were three of us growing up. We were all football mad, and he obviously was a coach as well, and we frequently practiced extensively with him.
The presenter: Can you recall many of those training periods? Because I learned that starting from the age of four, you practiced outdoors and he was doing exercises with you in the yard.
James: Yes, I remember - the drills started young. Thankfully, they paid off for myself and my sister [the club and national team attacker Lauren James].
Kelly: Tell me about your initial club that you represented as a child, its name, and your memories?
The defender: I don't remember much, frankly. It was the local team in the area. I believe I played for about a year. It was from there that talent spotters noticed me for Chelsea.
The host: You didn't start as a defender at first, were you? Talk to me about your role evolution and how that changed...
James: I began as a striker, and then eventually transitioned to the wing, left wing, right side, and later to central positions, and then eventually at defensive role, and I hated it at the time.
Kelly: Why did you hate it?
The athlete: Since I consistently desired to occupy central positions. There was less involvement with the football as frequently but one day it just clicked and I became a right-back since.
Reece James won the prestigious trophy in that year when Chelsea defeated Manchester City by one goal in the championship match in the Portuguese city
Kelly: You mentioned you began as an attacker - who was your idol?
Reece: My idol was [the legendary] Drogba. I grew up as a Chelsea fan growing up and he represented the player I admired.
Kelly: Identify a pivotal moment in your professional life - an experience that has shaped you and the player you have evolved into?
Reece: I'd likely identify going on loan. Bridging the gap between youth and first-team football is most challenging and this represents probably what many athletes making the jump find difficult.
The presenter: You're talking about the club, naturally. Why did Wigan become the ideal team for you at that period? It was distant from all you were familiar with in the capital - what made it successful so effectively?
Reece: The primary factor is that I played consistently, which proves beneficial. I acquired a lot of experiences - I relocated from my companions and relatives and had to mature quickly. Playing on a regular schedule assisted significantly.
Kelly: Who has had the biggest impact on your career?
The athlete: I'd identify [Brazil defender] the veteran. He's nearly sufficiently experienced to be my father and has played at elite standard for so long. He consistently attempted to assist me from the moment he arrived and continues to, presently he is departed [having left Chelsea in 2024].
The host: How specifically would he help you?
James: It was small pieces of advice off the pitch. During matches, he occasionally observe situations that I perceived alternatively and try and paint a different picture.
The presenter: It must have been nice to see him this summer [during the tournament]?
Reece: It was great to reconnect with him. I'm pleased that his club did well in the tournament [they lost in the penultimate round to eventual winners Chelsea]. It is always good to encounter him.
The interviewer: Were you able to return and replay one match in your career, what would you choose?
Reece: Assuming the result is going to be the identical - it would be the Champions League [final].
The host: Besides victory, what was so special about that night
