Fashion Passion, Idolizing Drogba & Friendship with Lewis Hamilton

• Published
  Less than an hour ago

This Sports Conversation represents a new series where prominent figures from sports and entertainment participate with host the interviewer for frank and detailed discussions about football.

The program examines mindset and motivation, discussing defining moments, professional achievements and personal reflections. The Football Interview reveals the person beyond the player.

Reece James started practicing with the London club at the age of six and - having progressed through the youth system and into the first team - is now club captain.

James announced himself to the Stamford Bridge faithful in style, netting on his first appearance in a comprehensive win over the opposition in September 2019.

Currently twenty-five, his professional achievements so far include making his England debut against the Welsh team in 2020, winning the Champions League with his club in 2021, and being named team skipper in 2023.

However, his journey hasn't been without challenges, with multiple fitness issues affecting him over the past four seasons.

The athlete spoke with Kelly Somers to discuss his professional peaks, the Brazilian's impact, and his relationship with seven-time F1 world champion the racing driver.

Kelly Somers: Initial inquiry: name, where you're from, and your preferred coffee?

The athlete: I am Reece James, I grew up in Mortlake, near Richmond - I'm sure many will recognize that area. My beverage is a specific coffee type.

The host: Was it consistently a flat white?

James: Not exactly, it started with, like, flavored coffees and stuff.

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

Reece: I mean, from a little kid, it's kind of all I knew in education. I wasn't the most academic student, and I simply adored playing football.

Kelly: What's your earliest memory of playing? Is this difficult to answer because it was such a significant aspect of your early years and growing up?

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

Kelly: It was significant in your family, correct, because your dad was deeply engaged? He's a football coach too, isn't he? Tell me a little about that.

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

The presenter: Do you remember a lot of those training periods? Since I read that as young as the four years old, you practiced outdoors and he was doing exercises with you in the back garden.

Reece: Yeah, I recall - the training started young. Thankfully, they paid off for me 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 youngster, what was it called, and your memories?

The defender: I don't remember much, frankly. It was Kew Park Rangers in Kew. 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 backline player at initially, were you? Talk to me about your positional journey and its development...

Reece: I began as a striker, and then eventually transitioned to wide positions, left wing, right side, and eventually to central positions, and then finally at right-back, and I disliked it at that period.

Kelly: What caused your dislike for it?

The athlete: Because 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 defender since.

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

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

Kelly: Identify a pivotal moment in your career - a moment that has influenced your development and the professional you have become?

The defender: I would probably say going on loan. Bridging the gap between academy and senior level is most challenging and that is probably what most players transitioning upwards find difficult.

The presenter: You're referring to the club, of course. Why did Wigan become the ideal team for you at that period? The location was distant from all you knew in the capital - why did it work so effectively?

James: The first thing is that I played consistently, which helps. I acquired valuable exposure - I moved away from my friends and relatives and had to mature fast. Participating on a consistent basis helped a lot.

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

The athlete: I would say [Brazil defender] Thiago Silva. He is almost old enough to be my dad and has competed at the highest level for so long. He always tried to assist me from the moment he arrived and still does, even now he is not here [having left Chelsea in 2024].

Kelly: How specifically would he assist you?

James: It was little messages off the pitch. On the pitch, he would sometimes see things that I saw differently and try and paint a different picture.

The presenter: It was undoubtedly pleasant to meet him this summer [during the tournament]?

The defender: It proved great to see him again. I'm pleased that his club did well in the tournament [they were defeated in the penultimate round to the champions Chelsea]. It is always good to see him.

The interviewer: Were you able to go back and replay one match in your career, which would you pick?

Reece: Assuming the result is remains the identical - I'd select the Champions League [final].

The host: Besides victory, what made it exceptional about the occasion