Joe Cole has identified a Chelsea star as his choice for the next England squad
The Blues' player saw his last appearance for the national team in March 2023
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By STEFAN BURGHILA
Published: 18:03 EST, 6 March 2025 | Updated: 18:03 EST, 6 March 2025
Joe Cole has revealed that he wants Reece James back in the England squad following the Chelsea star's strong performance against Copenhagen on Thursday.
The 25-year-old gave the lead for his side with a stunning right-foot thunderbolt in the 46th minute, which ended up netting the bottom left corner.
Enzo Fernandez scored the second goal with a well-taken shot, followed by a strike from Copenhagen's centre back Gabriel Pereira to conclude the game with 1-2 on the scoresheets.
Chelsea have arrived as strong favourites at the Parken stadium despite their heavy squad rotation as manager Enzo Maresca appeared to provide the club's youth an opportunity.
James - who captained the team - played from the start to the final whistle in an unusual defensive midfielder position.
‘He will have the respect of every player at Chelsea because of what he can do technically and physically,’ said Cole during the post-match analysis on TNT Sports. ‘When he was at his best, he was as good as anyone in the world, no doubt about that.
Joe Cole has revealed that he wants to see Reece James included in the England squad
The 25-year-old has had another great display against Copenhagen, giving the lead for the Blues in the 46th minute
Coles's comments came ahead of Thomas Tuchel's squad announcement for the games against Albania and Latvia
'It’s just about him finding his inner peace and managing him into games. He can play in midfield, he did it when he was on loan at Wigan and got Player of the Year there as a young kid. He looks comfortable there.
'He’s got so much to offer Chelsea and so much to offer England. It’s so great to see him impacting the game like he did tonight. Don’t give up on Reece James because there is still a real, real world-class player in there who can be a massive player for Chelsea and England. Hopefully he can keep going now.’
Academy wonderkid Shumaira Mheuka made an appearance, becoming the Blues' youngest-ever player to start in a European match.
He was accompanied by Tyrique George in a heavily rotated squad ahead of Chelsea's clash with Leicester City on Sunday.
However, captain James appears to have overcome his physical issues, as the Englishman has already completed two 90-minute matches in the past two weeks following a recent loss to Aston Villa.
‘It’s a big step in the right direction,’ he said. ‘This is a tough place to come, the atmosphere is amazing and they set up well.
‘It’s always frustrating to concede late on – we wanted to keep a clean sheet tonight – but we got the win.
'It’s always good to score and help the team. It will be another huge game next week because we really want to advance and win this competition.’
The 25-year-old seems to have overcome his physical issues, which often sidelined him in the first half of the season
However, James made his last appearance for the national team in March 203 against Italy
James' last appearance for the national team comes in March 2023 against Italy, as the 25-year-old has been fighting with injuries since then.
Meanwhile, Thomas Tuchel weighs up his England squad selection ahead of friendly games with Albania and Latvia on March 21 and 24, respectively.
It is understood that the German specialist has drawn up a 55-man longlist ahead of his announcement, which includes Arsenal wonderkids Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri.
Following James' impressive display in the middle of the field, Enzo Maresca was full of praise towards the Englishman.
He said: 'He is in a very good mood. He played very good against Aston Villa and again tonight. We know how important he is for us. He is our captain, a fantastic player but we all know the most important thing for Reece is that we need him fit.
‘It is our duty and our target to keep him fit until the end because for sure, he is going to help us. Tonight, again, he played very good, scored a goal. He can play in many positions because the good players can play in many positions.
‘At this moment, we are using him as a midfielder and he is doing very well. When I signed with Chelsea, probably the day after, I sent him a video about seeing him as a midfielder.
‘He is playing there now but the good thing is he played this year already as a full-back, as a centre-back and in the central midfielder. The main target for us is to help him be fit all season.'