Fashion Passion, Looking Up To Drogba & Friendship with Lewis Hamilton
- Published
This Sports Conversation constitutes a new series in which prominent figures from sports and show business participate with host the interviewer for candid and comprehensive discussions about the beautiful game.
The program examines mindset and drive, discussing defining moments, professional achievements and personal reflections. This series reveals the individual behind the athlete.
The Chelsea defender started training with the London club at six years old and - after developing through the youth system and into the senior squad - is now club captain.
James announced himself to Chelsea supporters in impressive fashion, netting on his debut in a comprehensive win over the opposition in September 2019.
Now 25, his professional achievements to date include making his England debut against the Welsh team in 2020, winning the European Cup with Chelsea in 2021, and being named club captain in 2023.
However, things have not always gone smoothly, with multiple fitness issues affecting him over the past four seasons.
James sat down with Kelly Somers to discuss his professional peaks, Thiago Silva's influence, and his relationship with seven-time F1 world champion the racing driver.
The defender discusses Thiago Silva's impact on his professional journey
Kelly Somers: Initial inquiry: name, where you're from, and what's your coffee order?
Reece James: I am Reece James, I was raised in Mortlake, near Richmond - I'm sure many will recognize that location. My coffee is a specific coffee type.
Kelly: Was it consistently a flat white?
Reece: Not exactly, it started with, like, vanilla lattes and stuff.
Kelly: We'll begin by discussing soccer. What significance does soccer hold to you?
The defender: Essentially, from a little kid, it was practically my entire focus 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 respond to because it represented a big part of your early years and development?
James: Not particularly, just because my memory is so bad. My earliest memory was probably, unsure, attending matches of my sibling compete. He is two years older than me, and he used to play as well.
Kelly: It was significant in your family, wasn't it, because your dad was deeply engaged? He's a football coach too, isn't he? Share with me a little about that.
The athlete: So we were three children during childhood. It was completely soccer-obsessed, and he naturally was a coach as well, and we frequently practiced a lot with him.
The presenter: Can you recall many of those sessions? 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 drills began early. Fortunately, they paid off for myself and my sibling [Chelsea and national team attacker Lauren James].
Kelly: Tell me about your first ever team that you represented as a youngster, what was it called, and your memories?
Reece: My recollection is limited, to be honest. That was the local team in Kew. I think I played for about twelve months. It was from there that talent spotters noticed me for the professional club.
Kelly: And you weren't a backline player at initially, correct? Explain about your positional journey and how that changed...
Reece: I began as a forward, and then subsequently transitioned to wide positions, left side, right side, and later to midfield, and then eventually at right-back, and I disliked it at the time.
The presenter: What caused your dislike for it?
The athlete: Because I consistently desired to play midfield. There was less involvement with the football as frequently but one day everything fell into place and I've been a defender since.
Reece James won the Champions League in 2021 when his team defeated Man City by one goal in the final in Porto
Kelly: You mentioned you started as a forward - who served as your role model?
James: My idol was [the legendary] Drogba. I was a Chelsea fan growing up and he represented the player I looked up to.
The host: Identify a pivotal moment in your professional life - a moment that has influenced your development and the player you have evolved into?
The defender: I'd likely identify going on loan. Transitioning between youth and first-team football is the hardest and that is likely what many athletes making the jump find difficult.
The presenter: You're referring to the club, naturally. Why was Wigan the ideal team for you at the time? The location was distant from everything you were familiar with in the capital - why did it work so effectively?
James: The first thing is that I featured consistently, which proves beneficial. I acquired a lot of experiences - I relocated from my friends and relatives and had to grow up quickly. Playing on a regular schedule helped significantly.
Kelly: Who has had the biggest impact on your career?
The athlete: I'd identify [the experienced Brazilian] Thiago Silva. He's nearly sufficiently experienced to be my father and has competed at elite standard for so long. He consistently attempted to help me from the minute he joined and continues to, even now he is departed [having left Chelsea in 2024].
Kelly: How specifically would he help you?
James: These were small pieces of advice away from games. During matches, he occasionally observe situations that I perceived alternatively and attempt and offer alternative perspectives.
Kelly: It was undoubtedly pleasant to see him recently [during the tournament]?
Reece: It proved wonderful to reconnect with him. I'm happy that his club did well in the tournament [they lost in the semi-finals to eventual winners Chelsea]. It's always good to see him.
Kelly: If you could go back and experience again one match in your professional history, which would you pick?
James: Assuming the result is going to be the identical - it would be the European Cup decider.
The host: Other than victory, what made it exceptional about the occasion
