Style Obsession, Idolizing Didier Drogba & Bond with Hamilton

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The Football Interview constitutes a new series in which leading personalities from athletics and entertainment join presenter Kelly Somers for candid and detailed discussions about football.

We'll explore mindset and drive, discussing pivotal experiences, professional achievements and individual insights. The Football Interview uncovers the individual behind 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 first team - is now club captain.

The defender introduced himself to Chelsea supporters in style, scoring on his first appearance in a 7-1 victory over Grimsby Town in September 2019.

Now 25, James' career highlights to date include making his international bow against Wales in 2020, claiming the Champions League with his club in 2021, and being appointed club captain in 2023.

However, things have not always gone smoothly, with a series of injuries impacting him over recent years.

James sat down with the interviewer to talk about his professional peaks, Thiago Silva's influence, and his friendship with seven-time F1 world champion the racing driver.

The interviewer: First question: name, your origins, and what's your coffee order?

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: Has it always been a flat white?

James: Not exactly, I began with, such as, flavored coffees and stuff.

Kelly: We'll begin by talking football. What significance does soccer hold to you?

The defender: I mean, from a little kid, it's kind of my entire focus in education. I wasn't the brightest kid, and I just loved the sport.

Kelly: What's your earliest memory of participating? Is this tough to respond to because it was such a significant aspect of your childhood and development?

James: No, just because my recollection is so bad. My first remembrance was probably, I don't know, attending matches of my sibling play. He's my senior by two years than me, and he used to play as well.

The host: It was big in your household, correct, because your dad was so heavily involved? He is a football coach too, isn't he? Share with me a bit about that.

The athlete: Well there was three of us growing up. We were all football mad, and he obviously was a coach as well, and we used to train a lot with him.

The presenter: Can you recall a lot of those sessions? Because I read that as young as the age of four, you practiced outdoors and he conducted drills with you in the yard.

Reece: Yes, I recall - the training started young. Thankfully, they paid off for me and my sibling [Chelsea and national team attacker his sister].

Kelly: Talk to me about your initial club that you represented as a child, its name, and what can you remember?

The defender: My recollection is limited, frankly. That was Kew Park Rangers in Kew. I think I played for about twelve months. From that point that talent spotters noticed me for the professional club.

The host: You didn't start as a defender at initially, correct? Explain about your role evolution and its development...

James: I started off as a forward, and then eventually moved to the wing, left wing, right side, and eventually to central positions, and then eventually at right-back, and I hated it at the time.

Kelly: What caused your dislike for it?

Reece: Because I always wanted to play midfield. There was less involvement with the football as much but one day everything fell into place and I became a defender since.

Kelly: You said you began as a forward - who served as your role model?

Reece: The player I admired was [Didier] Drogba. I was a supporter growing up and he was the athlete I admired.

Kelly: Identify a turning point in your professional life - an experience that has influenced your development and the player you have become?

The defender: I would probably say going on loan. Transitioning between academy and senior level is most challenging and this represents likely what many athletes making the jump find difficult.

The presenter: You're referring to Wigan, of course. Why did Wigan become the right club for you at the time? It was miles away from everything you knew in the capital - why did it work so well?

Reece: The first thing is that I featured week in week out, which proves beneficial. I acquired a lot of experiences - I relocated from my friends and family and had to mature fast. Participating on a consistent basis assisted significantly.

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

Reece: I would say [Brazil defender] the veteran. He's nearly sufficiently experienced to be my father and has played at elite standard for many years. He always tried to help me from the minute he arrived and continues to, even now he is departed [after leaving the club in 2024].

The host: In what way would he assist you?

Reece: These were small pieces of advice off the pitch. On the pitch, he would sometimes see things that I perceived differently and attempt and paint a different picture.

The presenter: It must have been pleasant to see him this summer [at the Club World Cup]?

Reece: 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 Chelsea]. It is consistently positive to see him.

The interviewer: If you could return and replay one match in your professional history, what would you choose?

James: Assuming the result is going to be the same - I'd select the Champions League [final].

Kelly: Other than winning, what made it exceptional about the occasion