Fashion Passion, Idolizing Drogba & Friendship with Hamilton

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The Football Interview constitutes a new series in which prominent figures from athletics and show business participate with presenter the interviewer for candid and detailed discussions about the beautiful game.

We'll explore mental approach and motivation, discussing defining moments, professional achievements and personal reflections. This series uncovers the person 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.

James announced himself to Chelsea supporters in style, scoring on his first appearance in a 7-1 victory over the opposition in 2019.

Currently twenty-five, his professional achievements so far include making his international bow against Wales in the year 2020, claiming the European Cup with his club in 2021, and being named club captain in 2023.

However, 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 discuss his career highs, the Brazilian's impact, and his relationship with seven-time F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton.

The interviewer: Initial inquiry: name, your origins, and your preferred coffee?

The athlete: 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 specific coffee type.

The host: Has it always been a flat white?

James: No, I began with, like, flavored coffees and similar drinks.

Kelly: We'll begin by talking football. What does football mean to you?

The defender: I mean, from a little kid, it was practically all I knew in school. I wasn't exactly the brightest kid, and I just loved the sport.

Kelly: What's your earliest memory of playing? Is this tough to respond to because it represented a big part of your early years and development?

Reece: Not particularly, simply due to my recollection is quite poor. My first remembrance was probably, 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 significant in your household, correct, because your father was so heavily involved? He is a soccer trainer too, right? Tell me a bit about that.

Reece: So there was 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.

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

James: Yes, I remember - the drills began early. Fortunately, they proved beneficial for myself and my sister [the club and England attacker Lauren James].

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

Reece: My recollection is limited, to be honest. That was the local team in the area. I believe I played for about a year. It was from there that I was scouted for Chelsea.

Kelly: And you weren't a defender at first, correct? Talk to me about your positional journey and its development...

Reece: I started off as a striker, and then eventually moved to wide positions, left wing, right side, and later to midfield, and then eventually at defensive role, and I disliked it at that period.

The presenter: Why did you hate it?

The athlete: Since I always wanted to occupy central positions. You didn't touch the ball as much but one day it just clicked and I've been a defender since.

Kelly: You said you began as an attacker - who was your idol?

James: The player I admired was [Didier] Drogba. I was a Chelsea fan growing up and he was the athlete I looked up to.

The host: Identify a turning point in your career - an experience that has influenced your development and the professional you have evolved into?

Reece: I would probably say going on loan. Bridging the gap between youth and senior level is most challenging and that is likely what many athletes making the jump find challenging.

The presenter: You're referring to the club, of course. What made was Wigan the ideal team for you at that period? The location was miles away from all you knew in London - what made it successful so effectively?

Reece: The first thing is that I featured week in week out, which helps. I gained a lot of experiences - I relocated from my friends and family and had to grow up fast. Playing on a regular schedule helped significantly.

The interviewer: Which individual exerted the greatest influence on your professional journey?

The athlete: I'd identify [the experienced Brazilian] Thiago Silva. He's nearly old enough to be my dad and has competed at the highest level for many years. He consistently attempted to assist me from the moment he arrived and still does, even now he is not here [having left Chelsea in that year].

Kelly: In what way would he help you?

Reece: It was small pieces of advice off the pitch. On the pitch, he occasionally observe situations that I perceived differently and try and paint a different picture.

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

The defender: It proved great to see him again. I'm pleased that his team did well in the tournament [they lost in the semi-finals to eventual winners his team]. It's consistently positive to see him.

Kelly: If you could return and experience again a single game in your career, which would you pick?

Reece: If the outcome is going to be the identical - it would be the European Cup decider.

Kelly: Besides winning, what made it exceptional about the occasion