Fashion Passion, Looking Up To Drogba & Bond with Hamilton

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This Sports Conversation constitutes a new series where leading personalities from athletics and entertainment participate with presenter the interviewer for frank and comprehensive dialogues about the beautiful game.

The program examines mental approach and motivation, covering defining moments, professional achievements and personal reflections. The Football Interview reveals the individual beyond the player.

Reece James started training with Chelsea at six years old and - after developing through the academy and into the senior squad - is now team leader.

The defender introduced himself to Chelsea supporters in impressive fashion, scoring on his first appearance in a comprehensive win over the opposition in 2019.

Now 25, his professional achievements to date include earning his international bow against the Welsh team in the year 2020, winning the Champions League with his club in 2021, and being appointed club captain in 2023.

Nevertheless, his journey hasn't been without challenges, with multiple fitness issues 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 friendship with seven-time F1 world champion the racing driver.

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

The athlete: I am Reece James, I was raised in the area, near Richmond - I expect many will recognize that location. My coffee is a flat white.

Kelly: Has it always been a flat white?

Reece: No, it started with, such as, vanilla lattes and similar drinks.

Kelly: Let's start by talking football. What significance does soccer hold to you?

Reece: I mean, from a little kid, it's kind of my entire focus in school. I wasn't the brightest kid, and I simply adored playing football.

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

James: Not particularly, just because my memory is quite poor. My first remembrance was likely, I don't know, going to watch my sibling compete. He is two years older than me, and he used to play as well.

Kelly: It was big in your household, correct, because your father was so heavily involved? He is a soccer trainer too, right? Share with me a bit about that.

The athlete: Well there was three children growing up. We were completely soccer-obsessed, and he obviously was a trainer as well, and we frequently practiced a lot with him.

Kelly: Do you remember a lot of those training periods? Because I learned that starting from the age of four, you were outside and he conducted drills with you in the yard.

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

Kelly: Talk to me about your first ever team that you represented as a child, what was it called, and what can you remember?

The defender: I don't remember much, to be honest. That was the local team in the area. I think I played for about twelve months. From that point that talent spotters noticed me for the professional club.

The host: And you weren't a defender at initially, were you? Talk to me about your role evolution and how that changed...

Reece: I started off as a striker, and then eventually moved to wide positions, left wing, right wing, and eventually to central positions, and then finally at right-back, and I disliked it at the time.

Kelly: What caused your dislike for it?

The athlete: Because I consistently desired to play midfield. You didn't touch the ball as much but eventually everything fell into place and I became a defender since.

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

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

The host: Identify a turning point in your professional life - an experience that has shaped you and the professional you have become?

Reece: I would probably say the loan spell. Bridging the gap between youth and first-team football is the hardest and this represents probably what most players transitioning upwards find difficult.

Kelly: You're referring to the club, of course. What made was Wigan the right club for you at that period? The location was distant from all you were familiar with in the capital - what made it successful so effectively?

James: The first thing is that I played consistently, which helps. I gained a lot of experiences - I moved away from my companions and relatives and was forced to grow up fast. Playing on a consistent basis helped significantly.

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

The athlete: I would say [the experienced Brazilian] Thiago Silva. He's almost old enough to be my dad and has competed at elite standard for many years. He consistently attempted to help me from the moment he arrived and continues to, presently he is not here [after leaving the club in that year].

The host: How specifically would he help you?

James: These were small pieces of advice away from games. On the pitch, he would sometimes observe situations that I perceived differently and attempt and offer alternative perspectives.

The presenter: It must have been pleasant to see him recently [at the Club World Cup]?

The defender: It was wonderful to see him again. I'm happy that his team did well in the competition [they lost in the penultimate round to eventual winners Chelsea]. It is consistently positive to see him.

The interviewer: If you could go back and experience again a single game in your professional history, which would you pick?

James: If the outcome is going to be the identical - it would be the Champions League [final].

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