Style Obsession, Idolizing Drogba & Bond with Lewis Hamilton

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This Sports Conversation represents an innovative program where leading personalities from athletics and entertainment participate with host the interviewer for frank and comprehensive discussions about football.

The program examines mental approach and drive, covering defining moments, professional achievements and personal reflections. This series uncovers the individual behind the athlete.

Reece James began practicing with Chelsea at the age of six and - having progressed through the youth system and into the senior squad - is now team leader.

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

Currently twenty-five, his professional achievements so far include earning his England debut against Wales in 2020, winning the European Cup with his club in 2021, and being appointed team skipper in 2023.

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

James sat down with Kelly Somers to talk about his professional peaks, Thiago Silva's influence, and his friendship with multiple Formula One title winner Lewis Hamilton.

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

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

Kelly: Has it always been a flat white?

James: Not exactly, it started with, like, vanilla lattes and similar drinks.

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

Reece: I mean, from a little kid, it was practically my entire focus in school. I wasn't the most academic student, and I simply adored playing football.

Kelly: Your first recollection of participating? Is this difficult to respond to because it represented a significant aspect of your childhood and growing up?

James: No, simply due to my recollection is quite poor. My earliest memory was likely, unsure, attending matches of my sibling compete. He is my senior by two years than me, and he used to play as well.

The host: It was big in your family, wasn't it, because your father was deeply engaged? He is a soccer trainer too, right? Share with me a bit about that.

Reece: Well we were three children during childhood. We were all football mad, and he naturally was a coach as well, and we used to train a lot with him.

The presenter: Do you remember a lot of those sessions? Since I read that starting from the age of four, you were outside and he conducted drills with you in the back garden.

Reece: Yes, I remember - the drills started young. Fortunately, they paid off for me and my sibling [the club and England attacker Lauren James].

The interviewer: Tell me about your first ever team that you represented as a child, its name, and your memories?

The defender: My recollection is limited, to be honest. It was the local team in the area. I think I was there for about a year. It was from there that I was scouted for the professional club.

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

Reece: I began as a striker, and then subsequently transitioned to the wing, left side, right side, and eventually to central positions, and then eventually at defensive role, and I disliked it at that period.

The presenter: What caused your dislike for it?

Reece: Since I consistently desired to play midfield. There was less involvement with the football as frequently but eventually everything fell into place and I've been a right-back since.

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

James: The player I admired was [the legendary] Drogba. I was a supporter during youth and he was the athlete I looked up to.

Kelly: Can you think of a turning point in your professional life - a moment that has shaped you and the player you have become?

Reece: I would probably say the loan spell. Bridging the gap between academy and first-team football is the hardest and that is likely what most players making the jump find difficult.

The presenter: You're talking about Wigan, naturally. What made did Wigan become the ideal team for you at that period? It was miles away from everything you knew in the capital - what made it successful so effectively?

James: The first thing is that I played week in week out, which helps. I acquired a lot of experiences - I relocated from my friends and relatives and was forced to grow up quickly. Participating on a regular schedule helped significantly.

Kelly: Which individual exerted the greatest influence on your career?

The athlete: I'd identify [the experienced Brazilian] the veteran. He is almost sufficiently experienced to be my father and has competed at elite standard for many years. He consistently attempted to help me from the minute he arrived and still does, even now he is departed [having left Chelsea in 2024].

Kelly: How specifically would he help you?

James: These were small pieces of advice off the pitch. On the pitch, he would sometimes see things that I saw alternatively and try and offer alternative perspectives.

The presenter: It was undoubtedly pleasant to see him this summer [at the Club World Cup]?

The defender: It was wonderful to reconnect with him. I'm pleased that his team performed admirably in the tournament [they were defeated in the semi-finals to the champions Chelsea]. It's consistently positive to encounter him.

The interviewer: Were you able to return and experience again a single game in your professional history, which would you pick?

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

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