Fashion Passion, Idolizing Didier Drogba & Bond with Hamilton
- Published
The Football Interview represents a new series where prominent figures from sports and show business participate with presenter the interviewer for candid and comprehensive dialogues about football.
The program examines mental approach and drive, covering pivotal experiences, career highlights and individual insights. The Football Interview reveals the individual beyond the athlete.
The Chelsea defender began practicing with Chelsea at six years old and - after developing through the academy and into the first team - is now club captain.
James announced himself to Chelsea supporters in style, netting on his first appearance in a 7-1 victory over the opposition in September 2019.
Currently twenty-five, his professional achievements so far include earning his England debut against Wales in the year 2020, winning the Champions League with Chelsea in 2021, and being appointed team skipper in 2023.
However, things have not always gone smoothly, with multiple fitness issues affecting him over recent years.
James sat down with the interviewer to discuss his career highs, the Brazilian's impact, and his relationship with multiple Formula One title winner the racing driver.
The defender discusses the veteran's influence on his career
The interviewer: Initial inquiry: identity, where you're from, and your preferred coffee?
Reece James: The name is Reece James, I grew up in the area, near Richmond - I'm sure many will know that area. My coffee is a flat white.
The host: Was it consistently a that particular coffee?
Reece: No, it started with, such as, vanilla lattes and stuff.
The presenter: We'll begin by talking football. What significance does soccer hold to you?
The defender: Essentially, from childhood, it was practically my entire focus in education. I wasn't the most academic student, and I simply adored the sport.
The interviewer: What's your earliest memory of playing? Is this tough to respond to because it was such a big part of your early years and development?
Reece: No, just because my memory is so bad. My earliest memory was likely, I don't know, going to watch my brother play. He's two years older than me, and he also participated as well.
Kelly: It was significant in your family, correct, because your father was deeply engaged? He's a football coach too, isn't he? Share with me a little about that.
The athlete: Well there was three of us during childhood. It was all football mad, and he naturally was a coach as well, and we frequently practiced a lot with him.
Kelly: Do you remember many of those sessions? Because I read that starting from the age of four, you were outside and he was doing drills with you in the back garden.
James: Yeah, I recall - the training started young. Fortunately, they paid off for me and my sibling [Chelsea and national team forward his sister].
Kelly: Talk to me about your initial club that you played for as a youngster, what was it called, and your memories?
The defender: I don't remember much, to be honest. That was Kew Park Rangers in the area. I think I played for about twelve months. It was from there that I was scouted for the professional club.
Kelly: You didn't start as a defender at first, correct? Explain about your role evolution and its development...
Reece: I began as a forward, and then eventually transitioned to wide positions, left wing, right side, and later to central positions, and then finally at defensive role, and I hated it at the time.
The presenter: What caused your dislike for it?
Reece: Because I consistently desired to play midfield. You didn't touch the ball as much but eventually everything fell into place and I've been a right-back since.
The defender claimed the prestigious trophy in that year when his team defeated Man City 1-0 in the final in the Portuguese city
The interviewer: You said you started as an attacker - who was your idol?
Reece: The player I admired was [the legendary] Drogba. I was a Chelsea fan during youth and he represented the athlete I admired.
Kelly: Identify a pivotal moment in your career - a moment that has shaped you and the player you have evolved into?
Reece: I'd likely identify the loan spell. Bridging the gap between academy and first-team football is most challenging and this represents probably what many athletes making the jump find challenging.
The presenter: You're referring to the club, of course. What made was Wigan the right club for you at that period? The location was distant from everything you were familiar with in the capital - what made it successful so effectively?
Reece: The first thing is that I played consistently, which proves beneficial. I acquired valuable exposure - I moved away from my companions and relatives and had to grow up fast. Playing on a regular schedule helped significantly.
Kelly: Which individual exerted the greatest influence on your career?
The athlete: I would say [Brazil defender] Thiago Silva. He's almost sufficiently experienced to be my dad and has played at elite standard for so long. He consistently attempted to help me from the minute he arrived and still does, presently he is departed [having left Chelsea in 2024].
The host: In what way would he help you?
James: It was little messages away from games. During matches, he occasionally see things that I perceived differently and attempt and offer alternative perspectives.
The presenter: It was undoubtedly pleasant to see him recently [during the tournament]?
The defender: It was great to reconnect with him. I'm pleased that his club performed admirably in the tournament [they lost in the penultimate round to the champions his team]. It's always good to encounter him.
The interviewer: If you could return and replay a single game in your professional history, what would you choose?
James: Assuming the result is going to be the identical - it would be the Champions League [final].
Kelly: Besides victory, what made it exceptional about that night
