Reece James of Chelsea FC arrives and high-fives supporters
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Chelsea captain Reece James is a very versatile footballer, with the 26-year-old able to play at right-back and in midfield.
The reason why James is so versatile is because of his skill set. He is a player with a lot in his arsenal.
For example, James can tackle, pass, cross and even shoot. Few full-backs possess all of those attributes. James does, though, and has shown that while playing as a right-back.
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In Europe’s top five leagues last season, James and Paris Saint-Germain’s Nuno Mendes were the only full-backs to rank in the top 10 for defending, playmaking and attacking after a study conducted by Ballity, who specialise in sports intelligence. With that in mind, it will only be a boost when James returns from injury.
Chelsea are surviving in his absence, but there is no doubt that James walks into Xabi Alonso’s side when he is fully fit. It means Alonso would probably have to drop one of Josh Acheampong or summer signing Maxence Lacroix if he wants to start James in defence, which would be pretty harsh on the former if the England Under-21 international proves to be the casualty.
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Acheampong has been one of Chelsea’s most consistent performers this term. However, James simply has too much quality to be left on the bench.
According to Ballity, then, James is a full-back who can defend, playmake and attack. But what is his standout attribute?
Well, it is probably his passing. First, it is normally quite accurate. Last season, James made 54.06 passes per 90 minutes and had a pass success rate of 89%, as per FotMob.
His passing also has range. In the same campaign, James completed 2.62 long balls per 90 with an accuracy of 55.3%. His long ball accuracy of 55.3% saw him outperform 88.1% of his positional peers in the Premier League.
With his passing, James is also capable of breaking lines. With an average of 13.72 line-breaking passes, the England international once again outperformed 88.1% of players in his position.