Style Obsession, Idolizing Drogba & Bond with Hamilton

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The Football Interview constitutes a new series where leading personalities from athletics and show business join presenter Kelly Somers for frank and comprehensive dialogues about football.

The program examines mindset and drive, covering pivotal experiences, professional achievements and personal reflections. The Football Interview reveals the person beyond the athlete.

The Chelsea defender began training with Chelsea at six years old and - having progressed through the academy and into the senior squad - is now team leader.

James announced himself to Chelsea supporters in style, netting on his debut in a comprehensive win over Grimsby Town in September 2019.

Currently twenty-five, his professional achievements to date include making his international bow 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 a series of injuries affecting him over recent years.

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

Kelly Somers: First question: identity, your origins, and your preferred coffee?

The athlete: The name is Reece James, I grew up in Mortlake, near Richmond - I expect more people will recognize that area. My beverage is a specific coffee type.

The host: Was it consistently a flat white?

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

Kelly: Let's start by talking football. What does football mean to you?

Reece: I mean, from childhood, it was practically my entire focus in school. I wasn't exactly the most academic student, and I just loved the sport.

Kelly: Your first recollection of participating? Is this tough to respond to because it represented a big part of your childhood and growing up?

James: Not particularly, just because my memory is so bad. My earliest memory was likely, I don't know, 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 football coach too, isn't he? Share with me a bit about that.

The athlete: So we were three of us growing up. It was completely soccer-obsessed, and he naturally was a coach as well, and we used to train extensively with him.

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

Reece: Yes, I recall - the training began early. Fortunately, they paid off for me and my sister [Chelsea and England attacker his sister].

Kelly: Tell me about your first ever team that you played for as a child, what was it called, and what can you remember?

Reece: I don't remember much, to be honest. It was the local team in Kew. I believe I played for about twelve months. It was from there that talent spotters noticed me for Chelsea.

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

Reece: I began as a striker, and then eventually transitioned to wide positions, left side, right side, and later to central positions, and then finally at defensive role, and I hated it at the time.

Kelly: What caused your dislike for it?

Reece: Because I always wanted to occupy central positions. You didn't touch the ball as much but one day it just clicked and I became a defender since.

The interviewer: You mentioned you started as an attacker - who served as your idol?

James: My idol was [Didier] Drogba. I was a supporter during youth and he was the player I admired.

Kelly: Identify a pivotal moment in your career - a moment that has shaped you and the player you have become?

Reece: I'd likely identify 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.

Kelly: You're talking about Wigan, of course. What made did Wigan become the right club for you at that period? It was miles away from everything you were familiar with in the capital - why did it work so effectively?

Reece: The primary factor is that I featured consistently, which proves beneficial. I acquired a lot of experiences - I relocated from my companions and relatives and was forced to mature quickly. Playing on a regular schedule helped significantly.

The interviewer: Who has had the biggest impact on your career?

The athlete: I'd identify [Brazil defender] Thiago Silva. He is nearly sufficiently experienced to be my father and has played at elite standard for many years. He consistently attempted to assist me from the minute he joined and still does, even now he is not here [after leaving the club in 2024].

Kelly: In what way would he help you?

Reece: It was small pieces of advice away from games. During matches, he occasionally observe situations that I saw differently and try and paint a different picture.

The presenter: It must have been pleasant to meet him this summer [during the tournament]?

Reece: It was great to see him again. I'm happy that his team did well in the competition [they were defeated in the penultimate round to eventual winners Chelsea]. It is consistently positive to encounter him.

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

Reece: Assuming the result is remains the identical - it would be the European Cup decider.

Kelly: Besides victory, what was so special about the occasion