Fashion Passion, Idolizing Didier Drogba & Bond with Hamilton

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The Football Interview constitutes an innovative program where leading personalities from athletics and show business participate with presenter Kelly Somers for candid and detailed dialogues about football.

The program examines mental approach and drive, covering pivotal experiences, professional achievements and individual insights. This series uncovers the person beyond the player.

The Chelsea defender started training with Chelsea at six years old and - after developing through the youth system and into the first team - is now team leader.

James announced himself to Chelsea supporters in style, netting on his first appearance in a comprehensive win over the opposition in September 2019.

Now 25, his professional achievements so far include making his England debut against Wales in the year 2020, winning the Champions League with his club in 2021, and being named team skipper in 2023.

Nevertheless, things have not always gone smoothly, with multiple fitness issues impacting him over the past four seasons.

James sat down with the interviewer to discuss his professional peaks, the Brazilian's impact, and his relationship with multiple Formula One title winner the racing driver.

Kelly Somers: First question: identity, where you're from, and your preferred coffee?

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

The host: Was it consistently a flat white?

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

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

The defender: I mean, from a little kid, it was practically my entire focus in education. I wasn't exactly the brightest kid, and I just loved playing football.

Kelly: Your first recollection of participating? Is this difficult to answer because it represented a significant aspect of your early years and development?

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

Kelly: It was significant in your household, wasn't it, because your father was so heavily involved? He is a soccer trainer too, right? Share with me a bit about that.

Reece: So we were three children during childhood. It was completely soccer-obsessed, and he obviously was a trainer as well, and we used to train extensively with him.

Kelly: Do you remember a lot of those training periods? Since I learned that as young as the four years old, you were outside and he was doing drills with you in the yard.

James: Yes, I remember - the training started young. Thankfully, they proved beneficial for myself and my sister [Chelsea and England attacker his sister].

Kelly: Tell me about your initial club that you represented as a child, its name, and what can you remember?

The defender: I don't remember much, to be honest. That was Kew Park Rangers in Kew. I believe I played for about a year. From that point that I was scouted for the professional club.

The host: And you weren't a backline player at initially, correct? Explain about your positional journey and its development...

Reece: I started off as a striker, and then subsequently transitioned to wide positions, left side, right side, and eventually to midfield, and then eventually at defensive role, and I hated it at the time.

The presenter: Why did you hate it?

The athlete: Since I always wanted to occupy central positions. There was less involvement with the football as frequently but eventually everything fell into place and I've been a defender since.

The interviewer: You mentioned you started as an attacker - who was your idol?

Reece: My idol was [Didier] Drogba. I grew up as a supporter growing up and he was the player I looked up to.

Kelly: Identify a pivotal moment in your professional life - an experience that has influenced your development and the player you have evolved into?

Reece: I'd likely identify the loan spell. Transitioning between academy and senior level is the hardest and that is likely what many athletes transitioning upwards find difficult.

The presenter: You're talking about Wigan, of course. Why was Wigan the right club for you at that period? It was distant from everything you knew in London - why did it work so effectively?

James: The primary factor 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 mature fast. Playing on a consistent basis helped a lot.

The interviewer: Which individual exerted the biggest impact on your career?

Reece: I would say [the experienced Brazilian] Thiago Silva. He is almost sufficiently experienced to be my father and has competed at elite standard for so long. He consistently attempted to assist me from the minute he arrived and continues to, presently he is departed [after leaving the club in that year].

Kelly: In what way would he assist you?

James: It was small pieces of advice away from games. During matches, he occasionally observe situations that I saw differently and attempt and paint a different picture.

The presenter: It was undoubtedly nice to meet him this summer [during the tournament]?

The defender: It proved great to see him again. I'm pleased that his club did well in the tournament [they were defeated in the penultimate round to the champions Chelsea]. It is consistently positive to encounter him.

The interviewer: If you could return and replay a single game in your professional history, which would you pick?

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

Kelly: Besides winning, what was so special about the occasion