As England kicked off their World Cup qualifying campaign with victory over Albania on Friday evening, it was a muted night for those of a Chelsea persuasion, even with former Blues boss Thomas Tuchel now at the helm for the Three Lions.
With Cole Palmer sidelined with injury, the only two Chelsea representatives in Tuchel’s matchday squad were Levi Colwill and Reece James, albeit with neither man earning a place in the starting lineup at Wembley.
As it proved, Colwill was an unused substitute for the 2-0 triumph, while James was introduced in stoppage time in place of goalscorer, Myles Lewis-Skelly, with the German coach favouring the veteran Kyle Walker at right-back.
It is still early days, however, with James no doubt hoping to cement a starting berth for himself moving forward, having begun to feature more regularly at club level following an injury-hit last few years at Stamford Bridge.
The 25-year-old – who has made just 14 appearances at club level this season – will be aiming to get back to the levels that he showcased under Tuchel’s watch, having enjoyed an initially meteoric rise from academy prospect to first-team sensation.
Reece James' Chelsea record under Tuchel
Captain of the side that claimed FA Youth Cup glory in 2017/18, having been named Academy Player of the Year that season to boot, the versatile full-back was made to wait until September 2019 to make his Blues debut, after spending the previous campaign on loan at Wigan Athletic.
Under the tutelage of Frank Lampard, the then-youngster would amass 37 first-team appearances in total in 2019/20, alongside the likes of Tammy Abraham and Mason Mount, as the west London side secured Champions League qualification.
That bright start was followed by a real rise amid Tuchel’s appointment in January 2021, with James playing a central role in the side that claimed European glory just a few months later.
Operating in a right wing-back berth, the Englishman flourished in an attacking sense under the former Borussia Dortmund boss, having chalked up seven goals and 12 assists in 74 games during Tuchel’s tenure.
It is no surprise then that even amid his recent injury woes, he has still been recognised as being “as good as any right-back in the world” when at his best, according to pundit Eni Aluko, with the Chelsea skipper still having ample time to return to such lofty heights.
Whatever the case, James still represents a real academy success story of the modern era at the Bridge, having seemingly overtaken one of his positional rivals to soar to the top.
The Chelsea star who was once ahead of Reece James
Mount, Abraham, Colwill, Conor Callagher, Dominic Solanke, Marc Guehi, Fikayo Tomori, Ruben Loftus-Cheek. The list goes on.
While not all have made their mark at first-team level for the Blues, the west London side have certainly developed a reputation for producing some of the best young talent about – and deservedly so.
For every Reece James, however, there are those who don’t quite push on in a similar vain, with that perhaps true of another once-promising Cobham gem, in the form of Dujon Sterling.
Chelsea 5-1 Man City, second leg
GK – Jamie Cumming
CB – Reece James
CB – Marc Guehi
CB – Trevoh Chalobah
RWB – Dujon Sterling
CM – Tariq Uwakwe
CM – Jacob Maddox
LWB – Juan Castillo
RW – Callum Hudson-Odoi
ST – Ike Ugbo
LW – Mason Mount
The current Rangers star – who, like James, is now 25 – was actually promoted into the first-team ranks a long time prior to his former colleague, having been handed a first-team debut by Antonio Conte as early as 2017.
The 6 foot 1 starlet was seemingly deemed a viable option as a wing-back in Conte’s 3-4-3 set-up, with reports also suggesting that he was ‘rated as highly as James’ in the academy system at one stage. Indeed, praise flooded in from academy coach Adi Viveash at the time:
“He’s a fantastic talent, but we have to be careful. His desire to score goals is superb. He is really a defender, but he can play in any position I think.”
Unfortunately for Sterling, while the current Chelsea captain has gone on to make 172 appearances for the club, the Islington-born defender was unable to build on the two chances he was handed in that 2017/18 campaign.
The former England youth international subsequently spent the next four seasons out on loan at a variety of EFL clubs, including Wigan, before the Todd Boehly regime allowed him to depart on a free transfer, following the expiry of his contract in 2023.
Sterling has since made 67 appearances in Glasgow, while registering four goal involvements, albeit with few of a Chelsea persuasion – including Boehly and co – likely to regret letting him depart on the cheap.
Having at one stage been viewed as ‘one of the best talents’ to come from Cobham, as per journalist Nizaar Kinsella, the £3m-rated ace was ultimately usurped by James in that right-back pecking order.
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