Enzo Maresca may be a distant memory in the Chelsea dugout, but his controversial decision to call out Reece James’ leadership has finally paid its greatest dividend after his new contract.
A positive for Chelsea came out of the woodwork after the loss to Paris Saint-Germain, with Reece James putting pen to paper on a new deal at Stamford Bridge.
Reece James has stepped up massively since returning from injury under Liam Rosenior, taking up a role in midfield and at right-back at times.
His leadership has also come on leaps and bounds, which was evidenced by his argument after the Pedro Neto red card that solved things for Chelsea.
The Blues have seen his importance and improvements of late, rightly gifting him six more years at the club.
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Micah Richards gives Liam Rosenior his seal of approval as Chelsea boss
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Chelsea impressed with Reece James’ leadership
A report from the BBC after Reece James signed his new deal stated that he has impressed with improvements in his leadership since early criticism under former head coach Enzo Maresca.
And he couldn’t be any happier to have signed on for longer with his boyhood club (Chelsea).
“I am over the moon to have extended my contract – Chelsea means so much to me.
“I have always said I want my peak years to be here, and I truly believe we have everything it takes to build on our previous successes.
“I’m excited for the future under this ownership, Sporting Directors, Coach and all the staff, and hopefully we will lift many more trophies together over the coming years.”
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Robert Sanchez conceding stats compared to Filip Jorgensen at Chelsea
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Enzo Maresca’s early criticism of Reece James at Chelsea
Back in 2024, Enzo Maresca asked for more of Reece James, stating that he was surprised that he wasn’t more of a leader at Chelsea.
“I think we don’t have a proper leader… The one that is doing fantastic in this kind of thing is Levi. Levi probably at the beginning of the season was not a leader but now you can see that he is one of the guys that is always speaking.”
Under Liam Rosenior, Reece James has traded his reserved nature for a more authentic, vocal leadership style. A key example is his introduction of the half-time circle ritual, where he gathers the entire squad in the center circle to walk off as one, fostering a unified team mentality.
He also displayed intelligence during the PSG clash, stepping in to calm a heated pitch-side altercation involving Pedro Neto and Luis Enrique.
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