Chelsea

Reece James keen on Chelsea captaincy

By Darren Plant, Senior Reporter | 26 July 2023

Defender Reece James admits that he would like to be appointed as the new club captain of Chelsea by head coach Mauricio Pochettino.

Reece James has acknowledged that he wants to be considered for the captain's armband at Chelsea.

Much has been made of the Blues going through a number of different managers over the past year, with Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter, Bruno Saltor, for one game, and Frank Lampard all occupying the main seat in the dugout.

However, Chelsea have faced similar issues with their leadership roles on the pitch, a result of Jorginho leaving in January and Cesar Azpilicueta departing at the beginning of the month.

Mateo Kovacic has also moved to Manchester City in recent weeks, with Thiago Silva now the obvious candidate to become the next full-time captain of the senior side.

Aston Villa's Emiliano Buendia in action with Chelsea's Reece James on April 1, 2023 © Reuters

Nevertheless, having seen fellow academy graduate Mason Mount join Manchester United, James also comes into the reckoning having progressed through the club's youth setup.

After making 79 appearances for the Under-18s and Under-21s, James has since gone on to feature on 147 occasions for the first team, contributing 11 goals and 20 assists.

James's game time would have been considerably higher had he not suffered a number of injuries, but his influence behind the scenes and among the fanbase cannot be understated.

The right-back has just arrived in the United States where Chelsea have played two of their five pre-season games, with the expectation being that he will feature versus Newcastle United on Wednesday night.

Chelsea defender Reece James pictured on November 23, 2021 © Reuters

Speaking to the media ahead of that fixture, James was quizzed on the decision that lies ahead of Mauricio Pochettino before the club's first Premier League match with Liverpool on August 13.

"I've been at Chelsea my whole life and it's something I've always dreamt of. When the time's right hopefully it happens," James told reporters.

"I think everyone has a different way of being a leader. Some speak and some show their actions on the field. I think I could do both. I'd like to think so."

Pochettino has previously insisted that he will wait until after the end of their pre-season schedule before making an official decision over the role.