Chelsea will play a third consecutive London derby next Saturday when they take on Fulham.
Reece James could line up for Chelsea in that fixture, but had it not been for the admiration he had for the club during his childhood, he could have easily ended up on Fulham’s roster instead.
In an interview back in 2021, James’ father Nigel James, a coach with his very own football academy, revealed that Fulham wanted to sign the defender when he was younger.
That, of course, never happened, and Chelsea have truly benefitted from his decision to join their youth set-up. James is now arguably the best right-back in the Premier League, helping his side to win two major honours last season.
Fulham corner flag
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Fulham got ‘nasty’ after Reece James snub
Fulham’s loss has obviously been Chelsea’s gain, but in the end there was not much they could do.
According to James senior, the England international had a “passion” for Chelsea and decided to sign for them as an eight-year-old.
It left Fulham, where James’ father was working at the time, far from happy.
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Speaking to the Daily Mail four years ago, James senior said: “I was working for Fulham and Reading and both clubs were disappointed in me because he didn’t sign for them.
“But Reece’s passion was Chelsea so it boils down to what he wanted to do. The clubs didn’t see that…. that’s one of those things that drove me from working in clubs.”
After Fulham and Reading’s failure to secure his son’s signature, he also claimed that both clubs got “nasty”.
There is no doubt that James made the right decision, though. He successfully came through Chelsea’s academy and is now club captain.
The 25-year-old has also won multiple trophies at Stamford Bridge, including the Champions League and Club World Cup.
Another man who has worn the Chelsea armband, John Terry, recently discussed James, claiming that he is the “world’s best right-back”.
The only thing that has held him back at Chelsea is his fitness, but that is a problem he looks to have finally overcome.
Reece James celebrates scoring during Benfica SL v Chelsea FC: Round Of 16 - FIFA Club World Cup 2025
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Reece James likely to start against Fulham next Saturday
Because of all of his injury issues in the past, Enzo Maresca has to be cautious with James.
The Chelsea skipper started on the bench in his side’s 5-1 win against West Ham United on Friday.
Given that Maresca rested him following the 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace last Sunday, then, you would expect the England star to be restored to the starting XI next weekend.
Had Fulham got their wish all of those years ago, though, maybe James could have been preparing for the west London derby as a Fulham player.