Fashion Passion, Idolizing Didier Drogba & Friendship with Lewis Hamilton

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The Football Interview constitutes a new series where leading personalities from sports and entertainment participate with host Kelly Somers for candid and comprehensive dialogues about the beautiful game.

We'll explore mindset and motivation, covering pivotal experiences, professional achievements and personal reflections. This series reveals the individual behind the player.

Reece James started training with Chelsea at six years old and - having progressed through the youth system and into the first team - is now club captain.

The defender introduced himself to the Stamford Bridge faithful in style, scoring on his debut in a 7-1 victory over Grimsby Town in September 2019.

Now 25, James' career highlights so far include making his international bow against the Welsh team in 2020, winning the Champions League with Chelsea in 2021, and being named club captain in 2023.

Nevertheless, things have not always gone smoothly, with a series of injuries affecting him over the past four seasons.

James sat down with the interviewer to talk about his career highs, Thiago Silva's influence, and his friendship with multiple Formula One title winner Lewis Hamilton.

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

Reece James: I am Reece James, I was raised in Mortlake, near Richmond - I expect many will know that area. My beverage is a specific coffee type.

Kelly: Was it consistently a flat white?

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

The presenter: We'll begin by discussing soccer. What significance does soccer hold to you?

The defender: I mean, from childhood, it's kind of my entire focus in school. I wasn't exactly the brightest kid, and I just loved playing football.

The interviewer: What's your earliest memory of playing? Is this tough to respond to because it was such a big part of your childhood and development?

James: Not particularly, just because my recollection is quite poor. My first remembrance was likely, I don't know, attending matches of my sibling play. He is my senior by two years than me, and he used to play as well.

Kelly: It was significant in your household, correct, because your dad was so heavily involved? He is a football coach too, isn't he? Tell me a little about that.

Reece: Well there was three of us growing up. It was all football mad, and he naturally was a trainer as well, and we frequently practiced a lot with him.

Kelly: Do you remember a lot of those sessions? Because I read that as young as the four years old, you practiced outdoors and he conducted drills with you in the back garden.

James: Yes, I recall - the drills started young. Fortunately, they proved beneficial for me and my sister [the club and England forward Lauren James].

The interviewer: Tell me about your initial club that you played for as a youngster, its name, and your memories?

The defender: My recollection is limited, frankly. That was the local team in Kew. I believe I was there for about twelve months. It was from there that I was scouted for Chelsea.

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

Reece: I began as a forward, 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 that period.

The presenter: What caused your dislike for it?

Reece: Since I consistently desired to play midfield. You didn't touch the football as frequently but one day everything fell into place and I've been a defender since.

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

Reece: The player I admired was [Didier] Drogba. I grew up as a Chelsea fan during youth and he was the athlete I admired.

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

The defender: I'd likely identify going on loan. Transitioning between academy and senior level is the hardest and this represents probably what most players making the jump find challenging.

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

Reece: The first thing is that I featured consistently, which helps. I acquired valuable exposure - I moved away from my friends and family and had to mature quickly. Participating on a regular schedule helped significantly.

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

Reece: I would say [the experienced Brazilian] the veteran. He is almost old enough to be my dad and has played at elite standard for many years. He always tried to help me from the minute he arrived and still does, even now he is not here [after leaving the club in that year].

Kelly: How specifically would he help you?

James: It was little messages off the pitch. On the pitch, he would sometimes observe situations that I saw alternatively and try and offer alternative perspectives.

Kelly: It was undoubtedly nice to see him recently [at the Club World Cup]?

The defender: It proved great to reconnect with him. I'm happy that his team performed admirably in the competition [they lost in the penultimate round to the champions Chelsea]. It is always good to see him.

Kelly: If you could go back and experience again one match in your professional history, what would you choose?

James: Assuming the result is remains the same - it would be the Champions League [final].

The host: Other than victory, what was so special about that night