Style Obsession, Idolizing Drogba & Bond with Hamilton

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The Football Interview constitutes an innovative program in which leading personalities from sports and entertainment participate with presenter Kelly Somers for candid and comprehensive discussions about football.

The program examines mental approach and drive, covering pivotal experiences, career highlights and personal reflections. This series uncovers the person behind the player.

Reece James began practicing with the London club 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 the Stamford Bridge faithful in impressive fashion, scoring on his debut in a comprehensive win over the opposition in September 2019.

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

However, his journey hasn't been without challenges, with a series of injuries affecting him over the past four seasons.

The athlete spoke with Kelly Somers to talk about his professional peaks, Thiago Silva's influence, and his relationship with multiple Formula One title winner Lewis Hamilton.

The interviewer: Initial inquiry: identity, your origins, and what's your coffee order?

Reece James: I am Reece James, I was raised in Mortlake, near Richmond - I'm sure more people will know that area. My beverage is a flat white.

The host: Was it consistently a flat white?

James: Not exactly, I began with, like, vanilla lattes and stuff.

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

Reece: Essentially, from a little kid, it was practically all I knew in school. I wasn't the most academic student, and I just loved playing football.

The interviewer: What's your earliest memory of playing? Is this difficult to answer because it was such a significant aspect of your childhood and growing up?

James: No, just because my recollection is so bad. My earliest memory was likely, I don't know, going to watch my brother play. He's my senior by two years than me, and he used to play as well.

Kelly: It was significant in your household, correct, because your father was so heavily involved? He's a football coach too, isn't he? Share with me a bit about that.

Reece: So we were three of us during childhood. We were all football mad, and he obviously 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 starting from the four years old, you practiced outdoors and he conducted exercises with you in the yard.

James: Yeah, I recall - the training began early. Thankfully, they proved beneficial for me and my sibling [the club and England attacker Lauren James].

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

The defender: My recollection is limited, frankly. It was the local team in Kew. I believe 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? Explain about your positional journey and how that changed...

James: I began as a striker, and then subsequently transitioned to the wing, left wing, right wing, and later to midfield, and then finally at defensive role, and I hated it at the time.

Kelly: Why did you hate it?

The athlete: Since I consistently desired to play midfield. You didn't touch the ball as frequently but eventually it just clicked and I became a right-back since.

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

James: The player I admired was [the legendary] Drogba. I was a Chelsea fan during youth and he was the player I admired.

Kelly: Identify a pivotal moment in your career - a moment that has influenced your development and the professional you have become?

Reece: I'd likely identify the loan spell. Bridging the gap between youth and senior level is the hardest and that is probably what many athletes making the jump find difficult.

The presenter: You're talking about the club, naturally. What made was Wigan the ideal team for you at that period? The location was distant from all you were familiar with in the capital - why did it work so well?

Reece: The primary factor is that I featured week in week out, which proves beneficial. I acquired a lot of experiences - I relocated from my companions and relatives and was forced to grow up quickly. Participating on a consistent basis helped a lot.

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

The athlete: I'd identify [the experienced Brazilian] Thiago Silva. He's almost old enough to be my dad and has played at the highest level for so long. He consistently attempted to assist me from the minute he joined and still does, presently he is departed [after leaving the club in that year].

The host: How specifically would he help you?

Reece: These were small pieces of advice away from games. During matches, he would sometimes observe situations that I saw differently and attempt and paint a different picture.

Kelly: It must have been nice to see him this summer [during the tournament]?

Reece: It proved great to reconnect with him. I'm happy that his team did well in the tournament [they were defeated in the penultimate round to eventual winners Chelsea]. It's always good to see him.

The interviewer: If you could return and experience again one match in your career, what would you choose?

James: If the outcome is remains the identical - I'd select the European Cup decider.

The host: Other than winning, what was so special about the occasion