Style Obsession, Looking Up To Drogba & Bond with Hamilton

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The Football Interview constitutes an innovative program where prominent figures from athletics and entertainment join presenter Kelly Somers for frank and comprehensive discussions about football.

The program examines mental approach and motivation, discussing pivotal experiences, career highlights and individual insights. This series reveals the person beyond the athlete.

The Chelsea defender started training 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.

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

Now 25, his professional achievements so far include making his England debut against the Welsh team in 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.

The athlete spoke with the interviewer to talk about his professional peaks, the Brazilian's impact, and his friendship with seven-time F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton.

The interviewer: First question: identity, where you're from, and what's your coffee order?

The athlete: I am Reece James, I was raised in Mortlake, near Richmond - I expect more people will know that location. My coffee is a specific coffee type.

Kelly: Was it consistently a flat white?

Reece: No, I began with, such as, vanilla lattes and stuff.

Kelly: Let's start by discussing soccer. What significance does soccer hold to you?

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

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

Reece: No, just because my recollection is quite poor. My first remembrance was likely, unsure, going to watch my brother compete. He is my senior by two years than me, and he used to play as well.

Kelly: It was big in your family, correct, because your father was so heavily involved? He is a football coach too, isn't he? Tell me a bit about that.

The athlete: So we were three children during childhood. We were all football mad, and he naturally was a coach as well, and we frequently practiced a lot with him.

Kelly: Do you remember a lot of those training periods? Because I learned that as young as the four years old, you were outside and he was doing drills with you in the back garden.

Reece: Yeah, I remember - the training started young. Thankfully, they paid off for me and my sibling [Chelsea and England attacker his sister].

Kelly: Talk to me about your first ever team that you played for as a child, its name, and what can you remember?

Reece: My recollection is limited, frankly. That was Kew Park Rangers in Kew. I think I played for about twelve months. It was from there that talent spotters noticed me for Chelsea.

The host: And you weren't a defender at initially, correct? Explain about your role evolution and how that changed...

James: I began as a forward, and then eventually transitioned to wide positions, left wing, right wing, and later to central positions, and then eventually at right-back, and I hated it at that period.

Kelly: Why did you hate it?

Reece: Since I consistently desired to occupy central positions. You didn't touch the ball as frequently but eventually everything fell into place and I've been a defender since.

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

James: My idol was [the legendary] Drogba. I was a Chelsea fan during youth and he represented the athlete I looked up to.

The host: Can you think of a turning point in your career - an experience that has shaped you and the professional you have become?

The defender: I would probably say the loan spell. Transitioning between academy and first-team football is the hardest and this represents probably what most players making the jump find difficult.

The presenter: You're talking about the club, naturally. Why did Wigan become the ideal team for you at the time? It was miles away from everything you were familiar with in London - what made it successful so well?

James: The primary factor is that I played week in week out, which proves beneficial. I gained valuable exposure - I moved away from my friends and family and had to mature quickly. Participating on a regular schedule helped a lot.

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

The athlete: I would say [the experienced Brazilian] Thiago Silva. He is nearly old enough to be my dad and has played at the highest level for many years. He consistently attempted to help me from the minute he joined and continues to, presently he is departed [having left Chelsea in that year].

The host: In what way would he help you?

James: These were small pieces of advice away from games. During matches, he would sometimes see things that I perceived differently and attempt and offer alternative perspectives.

Kelly: It was undoubtedly nice to meet him this summer [during the tournament]?

Reece: It proved great to reconnect with him. I'm happy that his club did well in the competition [they lost in the semi-finals to eventual winners his team]. It's consistently positive to see him.

Kelly: If you could go back and replay a single game in your career, what would you choose?

Reece: If the outcome is remains the same - I'd select the Champions League [final].

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