Chelsea’s modern fullback: What’s next for Reece James?

Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool clicked when the German unearthed two gems on either side of his defense. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson became joint creators-in-chief for the Reds, adding their unique traits to the team’s rock-and-roll style of football. But what Klopp did at Liverpool was nothing new. His arch-nemesis, Pep Guardiola, had previously used fullbacks at Bayern Munich and Barcelona to great attacking effect. Philipp Lahm marshaled the wing at Bayern while Dani Alves had a position nailed down in one of the greatest Barcelona teams in history. Modern football has always desired a modern fullback, and consequently, the demand and prices for them have soared sky-high. Luckily for Chelsea, it has always had one at home.

Reece James joined Chelsea aged six and, after surviving the battle royale that is youth football, turned full professional in 2017. A year later, he completed a list of things every elite young prospect was expected to do in those days at the club: he captained the team to an FA Youth Cup win (check!), he was named Chelsea’s Academy Player of the Year (check!) and he was subsequently sent on his first loan (check!). Back in those days, there was no next step. Once a youngster was enrolled in the loan army, he stayed there, but the winds of change would arrive soon.

The past and the future

Frank Lampard returned to Chelsea with a particular vision. He wanted to create a pathway linking the club’s excellent academy infrastructure to the first team. James was a beneficiary of the same, as he was drafted into the senior side to provide cover for the evergreen Cesar Azpilicueta. Within a year, he had nailed down a position in Lampard’s starting XI and would go on to do the same under the club legend’s successor, Thomas Tuchel.

James played in several different positions the last term, furthering his reputation as a jack of all trades. The youngster enjoyed an excellent start to the season playing in his favored right fullback position and made a brief cameo as a defensive midfielder. He played further up the pitch as a right wingback under Tuchel before the German decided to use him as a right centerback in a three-man back line. While the number of positions he played in a single season is impressive in its own right, what makes it even better is that he didn’t look out of place in any of those.

The defender was certainly among the contenders for Chelsea’s Player of the Year award, which Mason Mount rightly won in the end. His performances left little to be desired for the subsequent season, although there are a few things he could work on personally. The club’s pursuit of Inter Milan’s Achraf Hakimi—an uber-attacking right wingback—presents its own challenges. Furthermore, the question of his best long-term position also remains unanswered.