Reece James has no doubts about competing against Europe's best in this season's UEFA Champions League as we prepare to go head-to-head with Bayern tomorrow night in our league phase opener.
Reece is no stranger to a major European night, and tomorrow he has the opportunity to lead the Blues out at the iconic, red-glowing Allianz Arena.
Having won the Champions League in 2021, as part of the famous side that came back from Porto with the big-eared trophy, James is well-versed in what is needed to compete with the likes of Bayern Munich in intimidating, hostile atmospheres.
Having shared that knowledge with his team-mates ahead of tomorrow night, the skipper believes that the current FIFA Club World Cup champions are more than capable of competing at this level.
Speaking during his pre-match press conference, Reece said: ‘I have no doubts in the club and the team’s ability to compete against the best teams in Europe and the world. We will take it game by game, week by week, and see where that takes us by the end of the season.’
The 25-year-old acknowledges it will be a special night, but he won’t get carried away by the occasion, and his focus is squarely on winning.
‘Of course, it’s going to be a great night for me, something I’ve dreamed of since I was a little boy,’ he added. ‘To walk out as captain at such a historic stadium would be an amazing feeling.
‘We want to compete at the highest level and compete for all the domestic trophies and the Champions League as well. I believe we have a super strong team and those will be our targets this season.’