Fashion Passion, Idolizing Didier Drogba & Bond with Lewis Hamilton

• Published
  47 minutes ago

This Sports Conversation constitutes a new series where prominent figures from sports and show business join host the interviewer for frank and detailed discussions about football.

We'll explore mental approach and motivation, covering pivotal experiences, career highlights and personal reflections. The Football Interview reveals the individual behind the player.

The Chelsea defender started training with Chelsea at six years old and - having progressed through the academy and into the senior squad - is now team leader.

James announced himself to the Stamford Bridge faithful in impressive fashion, netting on his first appearance in a comprehensive win over Grimsby Town in 2019.

Now 25, his professional achievements so far include earning his England debut against Wales in 2020, winning the Champions League with Chelsea in 2021, and being named team skipper in 2023.

Nevertheless, things have not always gone smoothly, with multiple fitness issues impacting him over recent years.

James sat down with the interviewer to discuss his professional peaks, 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 the area, near Richmond - I'm sure more people will know that location. My coffee is a specific coffee type.

The host: Was it consistently a that particular coffee?

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

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

Reece: I mean, from childhood, it's kind of all I knew in school. I wasn't exactly the most academic student, and I just loved playing football.

The interviewer: Your first recollection of participating? Is this difficult to respond to because it was such a big part of your early years and growing up?

Reece: No, simply due to my memory is so bad. My earliest memory was likely, unsure, attending matches of my brother play. He's two years older than me, and he used to play as well.

The host: It was big in your family, correct, because your father was so heavily involved? He is a soccer trainer too, right? Tell me a bit about that.

Reece: Well there was three children growing up. It was completely soccer-obsessed, and he naturally was a trainer as well, and we frequently practiced extensively with him.

Kelly: Can you recall a lot of those sessions? Because I read that as young as the four years old, you were outside and he conducted exercises with you in the back garden.

Reece: Yes, I remember - the drills began early. Fortunately, they paid off for me and my sibling [the club and national team attacker his sister].

The interviewer: Talk to me about your first ever team that you played for as a youngster, its name, and your memories?

The defender: I don't remember much, frankly. That was the local team in the area. I believe I played for about twelve months. It was from there that I was scouted for Chelsea.

The host: And you weren't a backline player at initially, were you? Explain about your positional journey and its development...

James: I began as a striker, and then subsequently moved to wide positions, left wing, right side, and eventually to midfield, and then finally at right-back, and I disliked it at the time.

Kelly: Why did you hate it?

Reece: Since I always wanted to occupy central positions. You didn't touch the football as much but one day it just clicked and I became a right-back since.

Kelly: You mentioned you began as a forward - who served as your role model?

Reece: The player I admired was [the legendary] Drogba. I grew up as a Chelsea fan during youth and he was the athlete I admired.

Kelly: Can you think of a pivotal moment in your professional life - an experience that has influenced your development and the professional you have become?

Reece: I would probably say the loan spell. Transitioning between youth and senior level is most challenging and this represents probably what many athletes transitioning upwards find difficult.

The presenter: You're talking about Wigan, of course. Why did Wigan become the ideal team for you at the time? It was miles away from all you knew in London - what made it successful so well?

James: The first thing is that I played consistently, which helps. I gained a lot of experiences - I moved away from my companions and relatives and was forced to grow up quickly. Playing on a consistent basis helped significantly.

The interviewer: Who has had the greatest influence on your professional journey?

Reece: I'd identify [the experienced Brazilian] the veteran. He's nearly old enough to be my dad and has played at elite standard for many years. He always tried to help me from the moment he joined and continues to, even now he is departed [having left Chelsea in 2024].

The host: How specifically would he assist you?

Reece: These were small pieces of advice away from games. On the pitch, he would sometimes observe situations that I perceived alternatively and try and paint a different picture.

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

The defender: It proved wonderful to reconnect with him. I'm happy that his team did well in the competition [they were defeated in the penultimate round to the champions Chelsea]. It is consistently positive to encounter him.

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

Reece: If the outcome is going to be the same - it would be the Champions League [final].

The host: Other than winning, what was so special about that night