Chelsea captain Reece James reveals his 'one goal' for the 2024-25 season after being plagued by recurrent hamstring injuries

The England full-back spent most of the last season on the sidelines due to a recurring hamstring injury and subsequent surgery. He made only 11 appearances across all competitions since being named the captain of Chelsea last summer and provided two assists.

James finally regained full fitness and returned to action in May this year, however, after playing just two Premier League matches, he picked up a red card in the penultimate game of the season which now rules him out of the first three matches in the upcoming 2024/25 campaign. As the 24-year-old starts afresh this year, he revealed his plans for the future while claiming he is excited to play under new manager Enzo Maresca.

Speaking to reporters, the Blues skipper said, "I am one to push the boundaries and sometimes that has caused problems for myself and the team, but that is something I'm trying to get better at. I don't want to make mistakes and put my team at risk.

"I would like to think I'm in a good place now. I had a long off-season and I've got a long pre-season because I'm serving a four-game ban, but I'm in a good place. There are a lot of adjustments to make in the new system. Whenever a new manager comes in, there is a lot to take on board but we are excited and I can't wait to get started."

The defender could be next seen in action on Wednesday as Maresca's side play their first pre-season friendly in the United States against League One side Wrexham in Santa Clara.