Chelsea captain Reece James has been back in the lineup after a long injury layoff and he has made his presence felt in the side. After missing the side’s 4-0 win over Southampton to get some much needed rest, he was back in the starting XI against FC Copenhagen and scored the opening goal against the stubborn hosts.
James opened the scoring with one of his trademark long range strikes and the passion in his face after the goal was evident for all to see. He has brought some leadership and fire back to the Chelsea squad which has been sorely lacking during their recent struggles.
After the match, James spoke to Chelsea’s official website about the win and what it meant for the Blues moving forward. Not one to dwell on current successes, James spoke about the goals for the season and his confidence in achieving them.
""We have another game in a few days against Leicester and now it’s the business end of the season. It’s time to kick on and keep the wins going. Building momentum is key. We have our goals of winning the Conference League and qualifying for the Champions League. I have zero doubts in achieving that. We look forward to our next few games.""Reece James
James has been asked to do a lot for Chelsea this season including playing multiple positions over the course of the year. Enzo Maresca has deployed him at right back which is his natural position, but he has also been deployed in central midfield alongside Moises Caicedo.
The England international has brought his trademark physicality to the center of the pitch and his intelligent reading of the game has been elite as well. This has allowed Maresca to deploy Enzo Fernandez further forward and he has responded with 2 goals in his last 3 matches including the match winner against Copenhagen.
If the Blues are to achieve their goals of winning the Conference League and securing a top four place, James will have to be at his best in terms of his play and his leadership. A true test of a team and a leader is how they perform in the final stretch of the season when the pressure is truly on.
With his experience of winning the Champions League and Club World Cup with the Blues, James is perfectly poised to help lead this year’s side back to the glory of lifting trophies and playing in big-time European matches.