There is much to like about Reece James. His impeccable attitude, his quality on the pitch, and his willingness to fight through the pain barrier. Many examples that explain why he’s Chelsea’s captain.
Still only 26, James is a leader in this young Chelsea side. In terms of age and games played, he is one of the most experienced, and if Liam Rosenior is to be a success at Stamford Bridge, James will be pivotal.
It has probably been a bit of a frustrating season for the England man, unable to play back-to-back and often missing through injury. But when he does play, Chelsea often win, wherever he is being used.
Are you convinced by Rosenior yet, Chelsea fans?
His start is almost as good as Jose's!
On Friday night, James returned after missing games against Arsenal, Wolves, and Leeds. The England star lasted an hour before being replaced by Enzo Fernandez, but his influence was clear as Chelsea won.
Robert Sanchez names Reece James as the first out to training
But if Chelsea fans needed another reason to love their captain, then Robert Sanchez has just given them one. The Spanish goalkeeper held a Q&A session with Chelsea’s website following the 4-0 win over Hull.
Calum McFarlane, Interim Manager of Chelsea, and Reece James of Chelsea interact
Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images
Just a third clean sheet under Liam Rosenior in 11 games. Asked who was first out to training everyday, Sanchez replied with Chelsea’s skipper: “Reece [James]. The captain has to be, he leads by example.”
Despite still being somewhat young at 26, James is clearly embracing the role as captain. An older head on still relatively young shoulders, the Chelsea star sets standards high and is proving to be an example.
Chelsea concede fewer goals when Reece James is playing
It’s as simple as that this season. When the Chelsea skipper starts, which he has done in 23 of Chelsea’s 41 matches in all competitions, the Blues have only conceded 24 goals. An average of 1.04 goals per game.
James has failed to start in 18 Chelsea matches, coming on as a sub in eight and missing a further 10 this season. In that time, Chelsea have conceded 26 goals, an average of 1.44 goals per game without him.
What makes Chelsea so much better defensively when Reece James is playing? 👇
Indeed, Chelsea have managed 13 clean sheets in all competitions this season and in 10 of them, James has started. A percentage of 77%, yet James has only started in 56% of games. His influence is clear.
Chelsea are, defensively, a better side with James. Especially considering James did not feature in any Carabao Cup game, two of which were against teams from a lower division, or the FA Cup win v Charlton.
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