Summary
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has always envisioned Reece James transitioning into a midfielder
James' impressive midfield transition came to fruition as the Blues won 2-1 in Copenhagen.
James' adaptability and quality in midfield has since been lauded as he crowned a stellar performance with a goal.
Reece James' place in football has been under the microscope for much longer than the Chelsea captain would have preferred in recent years. Initially hailed as the next big thing, he cemented himself as one of the Premier League’s top right-backs during the 2021/22 season before injuries began to take their toll.
The journey back to his best has been long and demanding for the 25-year-old, and it sure hasn't come without obstacles. However, having avoided setbacks so far in 2025, the England international has been able to right some wrongs. Yet, even so, few would have expected to see him step into midfield against Copenhagen as the Blues kicked off their Europa Conference League knockout campaign with a 2-1 win on Thursday night.
It’s a transition similar to the one Trent Alexander-Arnold attempted under Gareth Southgate with England - though with far greater success so far. Unlike that divisive experiment, James’ shift has been widely praised, and after manager Enzo Maresca revealed he always envisioned his captain as a future midfielder, his midweek cameo suggested he might just be onto something.
Maresca Revealed He Always Planned for James' Midfield Transition
The Blues' boss had this trick up his sleeve for quite a while
Enzo Maresca
Maresca told reporters following the 2-1 away win that he had always seen the possibility of his trusted captain moving from his right-back comforts and into a more all-action role as a midfielder. "So, you can ask Reece; when I signed with Chelsea, probably the day after, I sent him a video about seeing him as a midfielder," the Italian said (watch his interview below).
"I see Reece as a midfielder, not now - since day one, before I met him for the first time, he was on holiday. I sent him a clip about him playing as a midfielder."
He added: "I mentioned Reece playing as a midfielder a long time ago. 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."
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Reece James' Impressive Midfield Cameo
His manager's long-term ambitions for the defender came to fruition in style
Dewsbury-Hall and Reece James celebrate
The thing about experiments is that nobody can truly know what will happen until the preconceived ideas are put into practice. But after playing the full duration of Chelsea's midweek trip to Copenhagen, the overriding conclusion that the Blues' faithful drew from the occasion was that James is worthy of his midfield transition, and he could well make a permanent switch into his new role should he continue in a similar vein across all competitions.
In 90 minutes, the Englishman had 97 touches, and hardly any of them were wasted. He boasted a 94% passing success rate, won three out of four of his total duels, made one key pass, and crowned a peerless display with a goal right from the very top drawer. Watch his highlights, including his goal, below:
James never appeared afraid to pick up the ball from deep or further upfield and take it upon himself to keep his side ticking, and his restructuring has been praised by those who tuned into the action. "Reece James is just such a pure footballer," one X user said. "Every action so clean and full of quality. Looks like he’s played midfield his whole career today."
James_GMS
A second user added: "Reece James in midfield might be the way forward," while a third commented: "Reece James playing more in midfield now? Lovely remoulding of a player I really enjoy watching." Elsewhere, a fourth concluded: "Reece James as a midfielder makes sense given his injury record. Less explosive movements could reduce strain, and his technical ability suits a central role. If managed well, it could extend his career while keeping his quality on the pitch."
All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt & Sofascore (correct as of 07/03/2025)