Reece James has now been fit for a full year, something we were worried we wouldn’t be able to say again.
He’s been treated very carefully by the medical staff and by Enzo Maresca, who makes sure he doesn’t play more than twice a week. The switch away from being a really dynamic, flying right back has taken away some of his strengths, but at least allows him to stay on the pitch more.
James brilliant stats show his return to the top is working
Reece James celebrates a win.
Reece James celebrates a win. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
We’re not just happy he’s playing – we’re happy he’s playing well. A look at the stats for Premier League right backs shows that James is rated as the second best in the league this season, behind only Jurrien Timber of Arsenal.
James always was a superb all round player – a physical beast with great game intelligence and technique. He can deliver perhaps the best cross in the league, but can also match any attacker physically.
His long passing remains maybe his most exceptional quality. He averages 3.5 average successful long balls per game. To put that in context, Timber averages 0.6, and Man City’s Matheus Nunes 1.1.
You can see the stats for the top 10 rated right backs by WhoScored in the table here:
Rank Player Club Apps Mins Total Tackles/90 Dribbled Past/90 Attempted Tackles/90 Rating
1 Jurriën Timber Arsenal 10 864 3.2 0.4 3.6 7.32
2 Reece James Chelsea 6 529 2.3 0.3 2.7 7.28
3 Matheus Nunes Man City 7 625 1.3 0.4 1.7 7.26
4 Amad Diallo Man Utd 6 451 1.2 1.0 2.2 7.20
5 Daniel Muñoz Crystal Palace 11 990 2.6 1.0 3.6 7.16
6 Mats Wieffer Brighton 7 602 3.9 1.9 5.7 6.99
7 Kenny Tete Fulham 8 720 3.3 0.5 3.8 6.94
8 Michael Kayode Brentford 11 955 1.7 0.3 2.0 6.89
9 Matty Cash Aston Villa 11 968 1.6 1.1 2.7 6.83
10 Trai Hume Sunderland 10 889 1.8 0.5 2.3 6.73
In other news…
James’ newfound fitness has allowed him to develop off the field too – this interview talks about how sources see his growing character as a leader.
Also in the interview was some interesting chat about James’ fitness, and how the club’s revamped performance department had helped him get back to playing regularly.
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Reece James catches an energy gel.
Reece James with a Chelsea logo.