'The world's his oyster' - The making of Chelsea's Champions League-winning star Reece James

England have a wealth of options at right-back. Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier enjoyed the most game time as Gareth Southgate’s side reached the final of the European Championship, but the next generation is even more promising.

After his early breakthrough at Liverpool, it was widely predicted that Trent Alexander-Arnold would make the position his own, but Reece James is challenging that assumption, taking his game to the next level with a series of excellent performances for Chelsea.

There are similarities in their levels of maturity and technical ability, but also differences too.

While James is a better defender than Alexander-Arnold, with more speed and strength, his attacking output lacks the same consistency. That is improving as the 22-year-old continues to thrive under Thomas Tuchel, registering five goals and six assists so far this season.

This battle for prominence should bring the best out of them, but James’ recent success has been a long time in the making. He instinctively stood out at youth level, as his former academy team-mate Cole Dasilva recalls.

“You always had an idea of the players who were destined to be where they are now. He was definitely one of them, along with the boys he’s in the first team with – Mason [Mount], Callum [Hudson-Odoi], Trevoh [Chalobah],” Dasilva tells GOAL.

“Reece was someone who got better every game, every year. He had a few players ahead of him and it’s no surprise that he got in front of them. He’s always been so determined. He’s always pushed himself through injuries, through setbacks.”

Dasilva was 12 when he joined Chelsea from Luton Town alongside his brothers Jay and Rio, meeting James for the first time. Despite being well established in the Blues youth system by then, he was still an unassuming character.

“He was a quiet boy, head down, but when he got on the pitch, he came to life. As we got older and grew up within the club, the more comfortable everyone got with each other. He definitely came out of his shell, and he became one of the main figures in our team, on and off the pitch.”

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As a young prospect, James was athletic, but initially quite slight. After a bad injury, Dasilva remembers him making a conscious effort to bulk up and become the strong, physically-commanding player he is now.

“We all have areas that we need to improve on," Dasilva says. "Before his injury, it may have been the physical side of things and maybe that’s why he pushed so hard to get his body into the best shape it can be and maintained that as we got older.

“It’s definitely something he’s put his focus on. I’m sure the coaches, and his dad, would have advised him along the way. That’s something that’s taken him to that next step and helped him realise that he can handle the men’s game with ease.”

James’ position evolved too. He started out as a winger, before dropping back into midfield and then defence. Regardless, he never lost his attacking intent and well-honed ability to whip in dangerous crosses from out wide.

“He was a joy to play alongside. You always knew you could trust him. He always wanted the ball, and he always gave everything. You always knew he would perform because he was such a talent,” explains Dasilva, who now plays for HNK Sibenik in Croatia.

“I play in the same position as Reece, so I took a lot from him, the way he crosses the ball especially. That’s obviously one of his main attributes. I remember doing sessions with him and I took that on with me. His best attribute is definitely his crossing.”

Dasilva and James developed a close friendship during their years together at Chelsea. They sat next to each other in the dressing room and are still in touch now, despite the different routes their careers have taken. 

“We were always in conversation and had a lot of the same interests music-wise and outside of football. We had a lot of things in common, so we got on really well. He’s a very nice guy. Very generous.

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“On a few occasions, he’d come into training and he’d have little gifts for me. It could just be a little bit of body cream or aftershave, but if he had a spare one, he was always willing to give and make someone else’s day. He’s honestly a great guy – down-to-earth and sound as you can get.”

As he rose through the ranks, James was a key component in Chelsea’s continued dominance of the FA Youth Cup. In the 2017 final, they dismantled a strong Manchester City side, which featured Phil Foden and Jadon Sancho, 6-2 on aggregate. 

Dasilva, who came off the bench to score in the second leg, loved growing alongside that team, which boasted incredible strength in depth, as Marc Guehi, Conor Gallagher and Ike Ugbo were also involved.

“That experience was fantastic,” he reflects. “It’s something we all wanted to do and being a part of it was massive. The first leg was away and it was a 1-1 draw. It was a very close game. We knew what a good team they were. 

“It was never going to be easy but, being back at the Bridge, we were always confident. We knew the talent we had, and we knew we could turn them over. That’s exactly what we did from the start. It was a great night.

“The talent was endless. Every single one of us was good enough to start both games in the final. I suppose Jody [Morris], the manager, was kind of spoilt for choice. The years before that, and even after, we still had talent in abundance, but that group was special. Very special. There were some big names.”

Morris often used 3-4-3, partly influenced by the success the first team was enjoying with that formation under Antonio Conte, and great partnerships developed all over the pitch. James demonstrated his defensive skills and reading of the game on the right of the back three, with Dujon Sterling ahead of him at wing-back.

“It suited us a lot," Dasilva recalls. "Those two on the right side were unstoppable. Reece fitted in there really well. He’s very versatile. He can play right centre-back, right-back, central midfield. You see him dominate in all areas.”

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A year on, James lifted the trophy as captain, after Chelsea beat Arsenal 7-1 in the final. He was ready for senior football and joined Wigan Athletic on a season-long loan that summer. They had just won promotion back to the Championship and were looking to consolidate.

“We had Nathan Byrne, who was our mainstay at right-back and had won Player of the Year. A couple of weeks into pre-season, Nathan picked up a groin injury and that thrust Reece into the team,” Michael Jacobs, a regular in that Wigan side, tells GOAL.

“You could tell from the way he approached training and games that he had that elite mindset. He was never arrogant, but he had this belief in himself that he was always going to do really well. He seamlessly slotted straight in.”

James moved up to Bolton and lived in the same apartment block as some of his fellow loanees. His ability and work ethic guaranteed the respect of his team-mates. Although he was never a big, boisterous presence in the Wigan dressing room, he adapted well to his new environment and grew in confidence.

“The Championship is a robust and tough league,” Jacobs says. “It’s obviously a lot different from playing academy football and you never really know. He had that level of quality and physicality to stand up to any sort of challenge. As the season went along, he flourished.”

A winger by trade, Jacobs regularly tested himself against James in training. “I didn’t really get much change out of him throughout the season,” he laughs. “Naturally you try and find a weakness in the full-back’s game – if they’re not as good in the air, or you can run in behind him – but he’s just got all the attributes.

James faced plenty of tricky left-sided players in the Championship, including Ollie Watkins, Yannick Bolasie and Todd Cantwell, but Jacobs remembers barely any of them getting the better of him. When he did struggle, he made sure to come back stronger.

“We played Swansea away just after Christmas. We couldn’t win an away game for love nor money. He had a bit of a sticky afternoon against Jefferson Montero. No one had really tested him in his short time with us. That was the first time someone had got the better of him. 

“The two games after that he was very resolute. Even though he had a tough afternoon, he recovered really quickly. For a young lad to come in from an academy, playing his first season in the Championship, I think that was fantastic.”

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Loan players are sometimes guilty of looking out for themselves, but not James. He committed fully to the task at hand, fighting to keep the Latics clear from relegation trouble after a mid-season slump. They lost just one of their last nine games to finish 18th.

“It sounds a bit funny, but it felt like when you have the best player in school, and you try to fit him in different positions," Jacobs says. "He was too good, so by the end of the season we brought Nathan back in to play right-back and he went into midfield. He was on corners, free kicks, penalties. He was a massive part of us staying up.”

James featured in 44 games, more than any other Wigan player, claiming several personal accolades while being named in the Championship Team of the Year alongside the likes of Kalvin Phillips and Jarrod Bowen.

His pace and stamina enabled him to compensate for occasionally suspect positioning, but that has improved with coaching and experience. That process has only been accelerated by Tuchel’s input, as shown in the way he shackled Raheem Sterling as Chelsea won the Champions League final.

“His all-round game is probably one of the best I’ve seen,” says Jacobs. “His delivery from different areas of the pitch is so pinpoint, it’s up there with the best in the Premier League. But there’s also his one-v-one defending and his ability to see someone off. That’s what you want in a modern-day full-back or wing-back.”

On his return to Stamford Bridge, James benefited from the club’s transfer embargo, and the presence of Jody Morris, his former academy manager, as Frank Lampard’s assistant. After recovering from injury, he starred in a 7-1 win over Grimsby Town on his debut and went on to make 37 appearances in all competitions.

James bettered that total last season, breaking into the England squad. He is now delivering vital contributions on a more regular basis as Chelsea compete for honours at home and abroad. He is not content to settle, though, and those who have played with him believe there is still more to come.

“He’s so down to earth and he’s so humble. He’s got the right attitude. He wants to do well, and he wants to improve. He also knows what he’s capable of without having that sort of ego and arrogance,” says Jacobs.

“The world’s his oyster with the standard’s he’s set himself at the start of this season, and in the Euros with England. He can go on to have an unbelievable career. I think if he stays healthy and injury-free, there’s no reason why not.”

For Dasilva, who shared so many formative experiences with James, his success is particularly sweet. “I think there’s no limit to where he could go. I can say I’m one of the lucky ones to get to know him and say I’ve played with him. 

“Seeing him now, dominating at the top level, is special. It’s definitely what he deserves, alongside all the boys from the academy who are doing it. It’s amazing to see and long may it continue.”