Fashion Passion, Looking Up To Drogba & Friendship with Hamilton

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This Sports Conversation constitutes a new series in which leading personalities from athletics and show business participate with presenter the interviewer for frank and detailed dialogues about football.

We'll explore mindset and motivation, discussing pivotal experiences, career highlights and individual insights. The Football Interview uncovers the individual beyond the player.

Reece James began training with the London club 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 Chelsea supporters in impressive fashion, netting on his debut in a comprehensive win over Grimsby Town in 2019.

Currently twenty-five, James' career highlights so far include making his England debut against the Welsh team in 2020, winning the Champions League with Chelsea in 2021, and being named team skipper in 2023.

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

The athlete spoke with the interviewer to talk about his professional peaks, Thiago Silva's influence, and his friendship with seven-time F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton.

The interviewer: Initial inquiry: name, your origins, and what's your coffee order?

The athlete: The name is Reece James, I was raised in the area, near Richmond - I expect many will recognize that area. My coffee is a specific coffee type.

Kelly: Has it always been a that particular coffee?

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

The presenter: Let's start by discussing soccer. What significance does soccer hold to you?

Reece: I mean, from a little kid, it's kind of all I knew in education. I wasn't the brightest kid, and I just loved playing football.

Kelly: Your first recollection of participating? Is this difficult to answer because it represented a significant aspect of your childhood and growing up?

Reece: No, simply due to my memory is quite poor. My first remembrance was likely, unsure, attending matches of my sibling compete. He is two years older than me, and he also participated as well.

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

Reece: So we were three of us growing up. It was all football mad, and he naturally was a trainer as well, and we used to train a lot with him.

Kelly: Do you remember many of those sessions? Since I read that starting from the age of four, you were outside and he was doing drills with you in the back garden.

Reece: Yeah, I remember - the training started young. Fortunately, they paid off for myself and my sibling [the club and national team attacker his sister].

The interviewer: Tell me about your initial club that you represented as a child, what was it called, and what can you remember?

Reece: I don't remember much, frankly. It was Kew Park Rangers in the area. I believe I played for about a year. It was from there that I was scouted for the professional club.

The host: You didn't start as a defender 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 wing, and eventually to midfield, and then eventually at right-back, and I disliked it at that period.

The presenter: What caused your dislike for it?

The athlete: Since I consistently desired to occupy central positions. You didn't touch the ball as much but eventually it just clicked and I became a defender since.

Kelly: You said you began as an attacker - who was your idol?

Reece: The player I admired was [the legendary] Drogba. I was a supporter growing up and he represented the athlete I admired.

The host: Identify a pivotal moment in your professional life - a moment that has shaped you and the professional you have evolved into?

The defender: I'd likely identify going on loan. Bridging the gap between youth and first-team football is most challenging and that is probably what many athletes making the jump find challenging.

Kelly: You're referring to the club, of course. What made did Wigan become the right club for you at that period? The location was distant from all you were familiar with in the capital - why did it work so effectively?

Reece: The first thing is that I played consistently, which helps. I acquired a lot of experiences - I relocated from my companions and relatives and had to grow up fast. Playing on a consistent basis helped a lot.

The interviewer: Which individual exerted the greatest influence on your professional journey?

The athlete: I'd identify [the experienced Brazilian] the veteran. He is nearly old enough to be my dad and has competed at the highest level for so long. He always tried to help me from the minute he arrived and still does, even now he is not here [having left Chelsea in that year].

The host: How specifically would he assist you?

Reece: It was small pieces of advice away from games. On the pitch, he would sometimes observe situations that I perceived differently and attempt and offer alternative perspectives.

Kelly: It was undoubtedly nice to meet him recently [during the tournament]?

Reece: It was wonderful to see him again. I'm pleased that his team did well in the tournament [they were defeated in the penultimate round to eventual winners Chelsea]. It's always good to see him.

Kelly: If you could go back and experience again a single game in your professional history, which would you pick?

Reece: Assuming the result is going to be the same - I'd select the Champions League [final].

Kelly: Other than victory, what was so special about that night