Style Obsession, Idolizing Drogba & Bond with Lewis Hamilton

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The Football Interview constitutes a new series in which leading personalities from athletics and show business participate with presenter the interviewer for candid and comprehensive dialogues about the beautiful game.

The program examines mindset and drive, covering defining moments, professional achievements and individual insights. The Football Interview reveals the person behind the athlete.

The Chelsea defender began training with Chelsea at six years old and - after developing through the youth system and into the senior squad - is now team leader.

James announced himself to Chelsea supporters in style, scoring on his first appearance in a comprehensive win over the opposition in September 2019.

Currently twenty-five, his professional achievements to date include making his international bow against Wales in 2020, winning the European Cup with his club in 2021, and being named team skipper in 2023.

However, his journey hasn't been without challenges, with a series of injuries impacting him over recent years.

The athlete spoke with the interviewer to discuss his career highs, Thiago Silva's influence, and his relationship with seven-time F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton.

The interviewer: Initial inquiry: identity, your origins, and your preferred coffee?

Reece James: The name is Reece James, I was raised in the area, near Richmond - I expect many will know that area. My coffee is a flat white.

The host: Was it consistently a flat white?

Reece: Not exactly, it started with, such as, vanilla lattes and similar drinks.

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

Reece: Essentially, from a little kid, it's kind of my entire focus in education. I wasn't the most academic student, and I just loved the sport.

The interviewer: What's your earliest memory of playing? Is this tough to answer because it represented a big part of your early years and development?

Reece: Not particularly, simply due to my recollection is so bad. My first remembrance was likely, unsure, going to watch my brother compete. He's my senior by two years than me, and he also participated as well.

The host: It was significant in your family, wasn't it, because your father was so heavily involved? He is a football coach too, isn't he? Share with me a bit about that.

The athlete: Well we were three of us growing up. We were completely soccer-obsessed, and he obviously was a trainer as well, and we frequently practiced extensively with him.

The presenter: Do you remember many of those sessions? Since I read that as young as 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 [Chelsea and national team attacker his sister].

The interviewer: Talk to me about your initial club that you played for as a child, what was it called, and your memories?

The defender: I don't remember much, to be honest. It was Kew Park Rangers in Kew. I believe I played for about a year. From that point that I was scouted for the professional club.

Kelly: And you weren't a defender at initially, were you? Talk to me about your positional journey and how that changed...

James: I started off as a forward, and then eventually moved to the wing, left side, right wing, and eventually to midfield, and then finally at defensive role, and I hated it at that period.

Kelly: What caused your dislike for it?

The athlete: Because I always wanted to play midfield. There was less involvement with the ball as much but eventually it just clicked and I became a defender since.

The interviewer: You said you started as a forward - who served as your role model?

Reece: My idol was [Didier] Drogba. I grew up as a Chelsea fan during youth and he was the athlete I looked up to.

Kelly: Identify a pivotal moment in your professional life - a moment that has influenced your development and the professional you have evolved into?

Reece: I'd likely identify the loan spell. Transitioning between academy and first-team football is the hardest and that is likely what most players transitioning upwards find challenging.

Kelly: You're referring to the club, of course. What made was Wigan the ideal team for you at that period? The location was miles away from all you were familiar with in London - what made it successful so effectively?

James: The first thing is that I featured consistently, which proves beneficial. I acquired a lot of experiences - I relocated from my companions and family and had to mature quickly. Playing on a regular schedule assisted significantly.

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

Reece: I'd identify [Brazil defender] Thiago Silva. He is almost sufficiently experienced to be my dad and has played at elite standard for many years. He always tried to help me from the minute he joined and still does, presently he is not here [having left Chelsea in that year].

Kelly: In what way would he help you?

James: These were little messages away from games. On the pitch, he would sometimes observe situations that I saw differently and try and offer alternative perspectives.

The presenter: It was undoubtedly pleasant to meet him this summer [at the Club World Cup]?

The defender: It was great to see him again. I'm pleased that his club performed admirably in the competition [they lost in the penultimate round to eventual winners Chelsea]. It's always good to encounter him.

Kelly: Were you able to return and replay one match in your professional history, which would you pick?

James: If the outcome is going to be the identical - I'd select the Champions League [final].

Kelly: Other than victory, what was so special about the occasion