Reece James sustained a hamstring injury in the 2-0 defeat to Everton . (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
Chelsea star Reece James has received acclaim from Gareth Southgate, who described him as one of the young stars alongside Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka on the English roster.
James could not compete in the 2022 FIFA World Cup owing to a knee injury, but he has been called up for Euro qualifiers against Italy and Ukraine. With Trent Alexander-Arnold out, the Blues star now has an opportunity to stake his claim as a first-team regular.
James has matured to become one of Chelsea’s top right-backs, and this season, he led the team frequently, demonstrating his maturity on and off the ball. It is time he replicated the performance on the international stage.
The 23-year-old right-back of Chelsea has maintained his shine this season, appearing 12 times in the Premier League, scoring a goal and an assist.
It would be difficult for him to play regularly for the England team because the Three Lions already have three right-backs who are well-established, including Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kyle Walker, and Kieran Trippier.
However, Southgate feels that James’ experience will enable him to compete for the position (h/t Football.London), as the manager stated in an interview with Mirror:
“We went pretty early with Bukayo Saka and Jude, and Reece is obviously pushing around that as well. We’ve got some exciting players, and it’s about looking at their progression and figuring out when it’s the right time to really let them go.”
We are fortunate to have James at our disposal; he is unquestionably one of the top right-backs playing right now and will keep making strides at Chelsea.
It’s unfortunate that he missed his first World Cup for Three Lions due to injury, but the 23-year-old appears fit and will undoubtedly provide Southgate with some trouble when deciding who to start at right back for their matches going forward.
We wish him luck and hope he solidifies his status with the national team. We also hope he returns to club football injury-free after the international break.
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