Style Obsession, Idolizing Drogba & Friendship with Hamilton

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The Football Interview constitutes a new series in which leading personalities from athletics and entertainment join host Kelly Somers for frank and comprehensive discussions about the beautiful game.

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

Reece James started practicing with the London club at the age of six and - after developing through the youth system and into the senior squad - is now club captain.

The defender introduced himself to Chelsea supporters in style, netting on his debut in a 7-1 victory over Grimsby Town in 2019.

Currently twenty-five, his professional achievements to date include earning his England debut against Wales in the year 2020, winning the Champions League with Chelsea in 2021, and being named team skipper in 2023.

However, things have not always gone smoothly, with multiple fitness issues affecting him over the past four seasons.

The athlete spoke with Kelly Somers to discuss his career highs, Thiago Silva's influence, and his relationship with multiple Formula One title winner Lewis Hamilton.

Kelly Somers: Initial inquiry: name, your origins, and what's your coffee order?

Reece James: The name is Reece James, I grew up in Mortlake, near Richmond - I'm sure many will recognize that area. My beverage is a flat white.

The host: Was it consistently a that particular coffee?

Reece: Not exactly, it started with, like, flavored coffees and similar drinks.

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

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

Kelly: Your first recollection of participating? Is this difficult to answer because it represented a big part of your early years and development?

Reece: Not particularly, just because my recollection is so bad. My earliest memory was likely, unsure, going to watch my brother compete. He's my senior by two years than me, and he used to play as well.

The host: It was significant in your family, wasn't it, because your dad was so heavily involved? He's a soccer trainer too, right? Share with me a bit about that.

Reece: So we were three of us during childhood. We were completely soccer-obsessed, and he naturally was a coach as well, and we frequently practiced a lot with him.

Kelly: Can you recall a lot of those training periods? Because I learned that starting from the four years old, you were outside and he was doing exercises with you in the back garden.

Reece: Yeah, I remember - the training began early. Thankfully, they proved beneficial for me and my sibling [the club and national team forward his sister].

The interviewer: Tell 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, to be honest. It was the local team in the area. I think I was there for about twelve months. From that point that I was scouted for Chelsea.

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

James: I began as a forward, and then eventually moved to wide positions, left wing, right wing, and later to midfield, and then eventually at defensive role, and I hated it at that period.

The presenter: What caused your dislike for it?

The athlete: Since I consistently desired to occupy central positions. There was less involvement with the ball as frequently but eventually it just clicked and I became a right-back since.

The interviewer: You said you began as an attacker - who served as your role model?

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

The host: Identify a pivotal moment in your professional life - an experience that has shaped you and the player you have become?

The defender: I'd likely identify the loan spell. Bridging the gap between youth and first-team football is the hardest and this represents likely what many athletes making the jump find challenging.

Kelly: You're talking about the club, of course. What made did Wigan become the ideal team 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 week in week out, which proves beneficial. I acquired valuable exposure - I moved away from my companions and family and had to mature fast. Participating on a regular schedule assisted a lot.

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

The athlete: I'd identify [Brazil defender] Thiago Silva. He's nearly sufficiently experienced to be my dad and has played at the highest level for many years. He always tried to help me from the minute he arrived and still does, presently he is departed [after leaving the club in that year].

Kelly: In what way would he help you?

Reece: These were small pieces of advice off the pitch. On the pitch, he would sometimes observe situations that I saw alternatively and attempt and paint a different picture.

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

The defender: It was great to see him again. I'm pleased that his club did well in the competition [they were defeated in the penultimate round to the champions Chelsea]. It is consistently positive to encounter him.

Kelly: Were you able to go back and replay one match in your career, what would you choose?

James: Assuming the result is remains the identical - I'd select the European Cup decider.

Kelly: Besides victory, what was so special about that night