Reece is feeling right at home

Ex-striker James: I HATED full-back job at start

AS right-back’s go, there was a time when Reece James could be filed under ‘Reluctant’.

Converted by Chelsea youth coaches from a striker to midfield then to full-back by the time he was 15 wasn’t what he’d envisaged at all – especially growing up with Didier Drogba for an idol. In fact, at first, he hated it. But seven years on the Stamford Bridge star now loves his role so much he’s aiming to make the right side of England’s defence his personal manor as the Qatar World Cup approaches.

Fitting then that the interview with the 22-year-old is in the Gary Neville room at St George’s Park ahead of the final Three Lions game of a long season against Hungary at Molineux.

Sky pundit Jamie Carragher once famously remarked: “No one wants to grow up and be a

Gary Neville” in a dig at the less than glamorous full-back job.

But along with Trent Alexander-arnold (below), Blues ace James is changing perceptions about a shirt that no kid with big football dreams really wanted.

He said: “When

I was young I was a striker scoring lots of goals, then I moved to midfield, then defence.

Buzz

“I was top goalscorer at Chelsea every season until I was maybe 12 or 13.

“Didier Drogba was my role model and I met him the first time at the training ground at Cobham when I was seven.

“It was a real buzz, definitely. I looked up to him when I was young. I wanted to be a striker so I idolised him and when I first met him it was amazing.

“I don’t actually know why, but around 12 I was moved

back into midfield then, when I was 15, to right-back and the first two years I

hated it.

“I didn’t like it at all. I always wanted to play in midfield and when I first moved out there I was thinking, ‘Why are they sticking me out here?’

“But then one day it just clicked and I never really looked back. As I got older I thought, ‘Maybe I could make a career here’.

“Now I love it and like both roles – going forward and attacking, creating chances and scoring goals.

“At the same time, my job is to defend, keep clean sheets and help the team. I like the balance between both and trying to do both best I can.” Competition for the right-back/ wing-back spot is fierce in the England camp.

But James admits the spirit among rivals such as Alexanderarnold, Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier is sound.

“I’ve a good relationship with Kyle,” he said. “When he sees me do something that I can improve, he always tries to help and wants the best for me.

“That goes a long way and it’ll continue to help my career go in the right direction.”

For now, the aim is to make himself the go-to full-back for boss Gareth Southgate in Qatar.

James added: “I’ll try everything I can. Only my performances on the pitch will be able show what I can bring and how well I can play.

“The final game against Hungary is building into next season and hopefully I’ll show I’m ready to play every game.”