Ever since Reece James first put on a Chelsea shirt in September 2019, the road has been full of bumps and hurdles for the 25-year-old.
Injuries have been a severe hindrance for the English full-back, who was forced to miss 21 matches last season due to repeated hamstring injuries.
And while he was able to stay fit for the majority of the second half of the campaign, such a poor record in the fitness department might be enough to force any club to consider if he’s worth keeping around.
Yet, despite his injury frustrations, James was handed a new gleaming six-year contract back in March. The deal was a show of faith Chelsea clearly have in a man who, when fit, rates among the best full-backs across the continent.
His status as club captain, which has been in place since the departure of Cesar Azpilicueta in August 2023, also propels him among the senior members of the squad despite his relatively young age.
So, with all of this in mind, what does his long-term future look like at Stamford Bridge?
His connection with the Chelsea faithful is undoubted. As one of their own, many Chelsea fans see themselves living vicariously through their number 24.
Waving goodbye to a man who has risen through the academy and shown that, when fit, he is capable of shining at the highest level will always be a tough pill to swallow. Even for a club with a revolving door like Chelsea’s, letting James go will take some convincing to get the Stamford Bridge crowd on side.
Every great Chelsea side has also had a homegrown talent bedded into its cloth. Think of former captain John Terry, who was at the heart of multiple Premier League title-winning sides. The same can even be said of Frank Lampard, who started at West Ham but was quickly adopted as one Chelsea’s own.
Replacing James will be no easy task, either. The west London club have shown they’re more than willing to dip into the market when necessary, or even when not, but the chunkiest of wallets will struggle to find a replacement who is at his level.
There are few better players in his position currently operating in the game and, while the likes of Malo Gusto and Moises Caicedo occupied the right-back spot during his absence last term, none are capable of soaring to the Englishman’s heights when he is indeed able to play.
He’s shown his versatility, too. Despite being conventionally considered a right-back, James has actually filled in both full-back roles and has even ventured into midfield on several occasions under Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca.
In fact, the Italian has revealed his immediate appreciation for his captain when he first took the job at Stamford Bridge last summer. Speaking to Chelsea’s official media channels in March, he said: “You can ask Reece, the day after I signed with Chelsea, I sent him a video about seeing him as a midfielder.”
“So I imagined him playing as a midfielder a long time ago. He is playing [there] now, but the good thing is this season he has played as a full-back, a central defender, many positions, but the main target for us is to help him stay fit all season.”
Ultimately, James’ star quality makes it near impossible to justify letting him go, at least for now. Despite the problems he’s incurred off the pitch, he has already lifted the Champions League, Super Cup and now Conference League in the first half of his career at his boyhood club.
And while he’s far from out of the woods when injuries are concerned, he certainly showed signs of better availability throughout Maresca’s first season in charge. Maresca, Chelsea and James himself will be hoping that’s a sign of what’s to come from a man who still has so much more potential to realise before his playing days are over for good.
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