Style Obsession, Looking Up To Didier Drogba & Bond with Hamilton

• Published
  47 minutes ago

This Sports Conversation constitutes a new series in which leading personalities from athletics and show business participate with host the interviewer for candid and comprehensive discussions about the beautiful game.

The program examines mental approach and drive, covering defining moments, professional achievements and individual insights. This series reveals the person behind the athlete.

The Chelsea defender started practicing with Chelsea at the age of six and - after developing through the academy and into the senior squad - is now team leader.

James announced himself to Chelsea supporters in style, netting on his debut in a comprehensive win over Grimsby Town in 2019.

Currently twenty-five, his professional achievements to date include earning his England debut against the Welsh team in the year 2020, winning the European Cup with his club in 2021, and being named club captain in 2023.

However, his journey hasn't been without challenges, with a series of injuries affecting him over the past four seasons.

James sat down with Kelly Somers to talk about his career highs, the Brazilian's impact, and his relationship with seven-time F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton.

Kelly Somers: Initial inquiry: name, your origins, and your preferred coffee?

The athlete: The name is Reece James, I was raised in Mortlake, near Richmond - I expect more people will recognize that location. My coffee is a flat white.

Kelly: Has it always been a flat white?

James: Not exactly, it started with, like, vanilla lattes and stuff.

The presenter: We'll begin by discussing soccer. What does football mean to you?

Reece: I mean, from childhood, it's kind of my entire focus in education. I wasn't exactly the most academic student, and I simply adored playing football.

Kelly: Your first recollection of playing? Is this difficult to answer because it represented a big part of your childhood and development?

James: No, simply due to my memory is quite poor. My first remembrance was probably, I don't know, attending matches of my brother play. He's two years older than me, and he also participated as well.

Kelly: It was big in your household, wasn't it, because your dad was so heavily involved? He's a football coach too, isn't he? Tell me a bit about that.

Reece: So there was three children growing up. We were completely soccer-obsessed, and he naturally was a trainer as well, and we frequently practiced a lot with him.

Kelly: Do you remember many of those training periods? Since I learned that starting from the four years old, you practiced outdoors and he conducted drills with you in the yard.

James: Yes, I remember - the training began early. Thankfully, they paid off for myself and my sibling [the club and national team attacker Lauren James].

Kelly: Talk to me about your initial club that you represented as a child, what was it called, and your memories?

The defender: I don't remember much, frankly. That was Kew Park Rangers in the area. I think I played for about twelve months. It was from there that talent spotters noticed me for the professional club.

The host: You didn't start as a backline player at first, correct? Explain about your positional journey and its development...

Reece: I started off as a striker, and then eventually moved to wide positions, left side, right side, and later to midfield, and then eventually at right-back, and I hated it at that period.

Kelly: What caused your dislike for it?

Reece: Because I always wanted 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.

The interviewer: You said you started as an attacker - who was your role model?

Reece: The player I admired was [Didier] Drogba. I was a Chelsea fan during youth and he was the player I looked up to.

The host: Can you think of a turning point in your professional life - an experience that has shaped you and the professional you have evolved into?

Reece: I would probably say going on loan. Bridging the gap between youth and senior level is the hardest and that is probably what most players transitioning upwards find challenging.

Kelly: You're referring to the club, naturally. Why did Wigan become the ideal team for you at that period? It was distant from everything you were familiar with in the capital - what made it successful so well?

Reece: The primary factor is that I played consistently, which proves beneficial. I acquired a lot of experiences - I moved away from my friends and family and was forced to grow up quickly. Playing on a regular schedule helped significantly.

The interviewer: Which individual exerted the biggest impact on your career?

Reece: I would say [the experienced Brazilian] Thiago Silva. He's almost sufficiently experienced to be my father and has played at elite standard for many years. He always tried to help me from the moment he joined and continues to, presently he is not here [having left Chelsea in that year].

Kelly: How specifically would he help you?

James: It was little messages away from games. On the pitch, he occasionally observe situations that I saw differently and try and paint a different picture.

Kelly: It must have been nice to meet him this summer [at the Club World Cup]?

The defender: It was wonderful to see him again. I'm pleased that his club performed admirably in the competition [they lost in the semi-finals to eventual winners his team]. It's consistently positive to encounter him.

The interviewer: If you could go back and replay one match in your professional history, which would you pick?

Reece: Assuming the result is going to be the identical - I'd select the European Cup decider.

The host: Other than winning, what was so special about the occasion