Style Obsession, Idolizing Drogba & Bond with Lewis Hamilton

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This Sports Conversation represents an innovative program in which prominent figures from sports and entertainment join host Kelly Somers for frank and detailed dialogues about football.

We'll explore mental approach and motivation, discussing pivotal experiences, career highlights and individual insights. This series reveals the person behind the player.

Reece James started training with Chelsea at the age of six and - having progressed through the youth system and into the senior squad - is now club captain.

The defender introduced himself to the Stamford Bridge faithful in impressive fashion, scoring on his debut in a comprehensive win over the opposition in 2019.

Currently twenty-five, his professional achievements to date include earning his international bow against the Welsh team in 2020, claiming the Champions League with Chelsea in 2021, and being appointed club captain in 2023.

However, his journey hasn't been without challenges, with multiple fitness issues impacting him over the past four seasons.

James sat down with Kelly Somers to talk about his professional peaks, the Brazilian's impact, and his relationship with seven-time F1 world champion the racing driver.

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

Reece James: I am Reece James, I was raised in the area, near Richmond - I expect more people will recognize that location. My beverage is a specific coffee type.

The host: Was it consistently a flat white?

James: No, I began with, like, vanilla lattes and stuff.

Kelly: We'll begin by talking football. What significance does soccer hold to you?

Reece: Essentially, from a little kid, it was practically all I knew in education. I wasn't exactly the brightest kid, and I simply adored playing football.

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

James: No, just because my recollection is quite poor. My earliest memory was likely, unsure, going to watch my brother play. He's two years older than me, and he also participated as well.

Kelly: It was significant in your family, correct, because your dad was deeply engaged? He's a football coach too, right? Share with me a little about that.

The athlete: So there was three children during childhood. It was completely soccer-obsessed, and he naturally was a trainer as well, and we frequently practiced extensively with him.

Kelly: Do you remember a lot of those sessions? Because I read that starting from the age of four, you practiced outdoors and he conducted exercises with you in the back garden.

Reece: Yes, I remember - the training began early. Thankfully, they proved beneficial for me and my sibling [the club and England attacker his sister].

The interviewer: Tell me about your initial club that you played for as a youngster, what was it called, and your memories?

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

Kelly: You didn't start as a defender at first, correct? Explain about your role evolution and how that changed...

Reece: I began as a forward, and then subsequently transitioned to wide positions, left wing, right side, and eventually to midfield, and then finally at right-back, and I disliked it at the time.

The presenter: What caused your dislike for it?

Reece: Because I consistently desired to occupy central positions. You didn't touch the football as much but one day it just clicked and I've been a defender since.

The interviewer: You said you started as an attacker - who served as your role model?

Reece: The player I admired was [the legendary] Drogba. I grew up as a Chelsea fan growing up and he was the athlete I looked up to.

Kelly: Can you think of a pivotal moment in your professional life - a moment that has influenced your development and the player you have become?

Reece: I'd likely identify going on loan. Transitioning between academy and senior level is most challenging and this represents probably what many athletes transitioning upwards find challenging.

The presenter: You're talking about Wigan, naturally. What made did Wigan become the ideal team for you at that period? It was distant from everything you were familiar with in London - why did it work so effectively?

James: The first thing is that I featured consistently, which helps. I acquired a lot of experiences - I moved away from my companions and relatives and had to grow up quickly. Participating on a consistent basis helped a lot.

Kelly: Who has had the biggest impact on your professional journey?

The athlete: I'd identify [the experienced Brazilian] Thiago Silva. He is almost sufficiently experienced to be my father and has played at the highest level for many years. He consistently attempted to help me from the moment he arrived and still does, presently he is departed [having left Chelsea in that year].

The host: How specifically would he help you?

James: It was little messages off the pitch. On the pitch, he would sometimes see things that I saw differently and attempt and offer alternative perspectives.

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

The defender: It proved great to see him again. I'm pleased that his team performed admirably in the competition [they were defeated in the semi-finals to eventual winners his team]. It is always good to encounter him.

The interviewer: If you could go back and replay one match in your career, what would you choose?

Reece: Assuming the result is going to be the same - it would be the Champions League [final].

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