Fashion Passion, Looking Up To Didier Drogba & Bond with Lewis Hamilton

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This Sports Conversation represents an innovative program in which leading personalities from sports and entertainment participate with presenter the interviewer for frank and comprehensive discussions about the beautiful game.

We'll explore mental approach and drive, covering pivotal experiences, professional achievements and personal reflections. This series uncovers the person beyond the athlete.

Reece James began 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 style, netting on his first appearance in a 7-1 victory over Grimsby Town in September 2019.

Now 25, his professional achievements to date include making his England debut against Wales in 2020, claiming the European Cup with Chelsea in 2021, and being named team skipper in 2023.

Nevertheless, his journey hasn't been without challenges, with a series of injuries affecting him over recent years.

The athlete spoke with Kelly Somers to talk about 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 what's your coffee order?

Reece James: I am Reece James, I was raised in Mortlake, near Richmond - I'm sure many will know that location. My coffee is a specific coffee type.

The host: Has it always been a flat white?

James: No, it started with, like, flavored coffees and stuff.

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

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

Kelly: Your first recollection of participating? Is this difficult to respond to because it was such a significant aspect of your childhood and development?

Reece: No, just because my memory is quite poor. My first remembrance was probably, unsure, attending matches of my brother compete. He is two years older than me, and he also participated as well.

Kelly: It was big in your household, correct, because your dad was deeply engaged? He's a soccer trainer too, isn't he? Share with me a bit about that.

Reece: So there was three of us during childhood. It was all football mad, and he obviously was a trainer as well, and we frequently practiced extensively with him.

The presenter: 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.

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

Kelly: Talk to me about your initial club that you played for as a child, what was it called, and your memories?

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

The host: And you weren't a defender at first, correct? Explain about your positional journey and how that changed...

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

Kelly: Why did you hate it?

Reece: Because I consistently desired to play midfield. You didn't touch the football as frequently but one day it just clicked and I became a right-back since.

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

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

Kelly: Identify a pivotal moment in your career - a moment that has shaped you and the player you have become?

Reece: I would probably say going on loan. Bridging the gap between youth and first-team football is the hardest and that is likely what many athletes transitioning upwards find challenging.

Kelly: You're referring to the club, naturally. What made did Wigan become the right club for you at the time? It was miles away from everything you were familiar with in London - what made it successful so effectively?

Reece: The primary factor is that I played week in week out, which proves beneficial. I gained valuable exposure - I moved away from my companions and family and was forced to grow up fast. Participating on a consistent basis helped significantly.

Kelly: Who has had the biggest impact on your career?

Reece: I'd identify [Brazil defender] Thiago Silva. He is almost sufficiently experienced to be my father and has competed at the highest level for so long. He consistently attempted to help me from the minute he joined and continues to, even now he is departed [having left Chelsea in 2024].

The host: How specifically would he help you?

Reece: These were little messages off the pitch. On the pitch, he occasionally observe situations that I perceived differently and try and paint a different picture.

Kelly: It was undoubtedly nice to meet him recently [during the tournament]?

Reece: It proved wonderful to see him again. I'm happy that his team performed admirably in the tournament [they were defeated in the semi-finals to the champions Chelsea]. It is consistently positive to see him.

The interviewer: Were you able to return and replay a single game in your career, what would you choose?

James: If the outcome is going to be the same - I'd select the Champions League [final].

Kelly: Other than victory, what made it exceptional about the occasion