Thomas Tuchel said he never had doubts about the quality of Reece James after the Captain of Chelsea had marked his return of England with a goal against Latvia on Monday.
James opened the score in Wembley Stadium with a beautiful free kick, before goals from Harry Kane and Ebereechi Eze sealed a comfortable victory for the three lions.
James was indeed the first defender to score an immediate free step goal for England near Wembley since Stuart Pearce did this in November 1992 (V Turkiye).
It was also the first start of the 25-year-old since a 3-3 draw with Germany in the Nations League in September 2022, and he set an impressive show against Latvia.
James registered a team high of totally accurate steps (96), while he also won more times than his English teammates (eight).
The full-back is a player who knows Tuchel well, where the couple collaborated in Chelsea and won the Champions League in 2020-21 together with two other major awards.
And although he is aware of the recent injury record of James, Tuchel believes that the blues defender could be a major player for England during his term of office.
“I know the quality he has in that foot – it's great. He has the right to be happy and proud of his performance. He is in excellent condition,” Tuchel added.
“When we called him, he hadn't had many games, but it was not due to injuries, they just walked ahead and managed him. He looks sharp and in shape.”
Back with a big goal and performance @reecejames, your English player of the game is connected by @EE! pic.twitter.com/xjf7CR0BXN
– England (@england) March 24, 2025
This season James has made 14 performances for Chelsea for all competitions after the suffering of two separate hamstring injuries so far this period.
Under Enzo Maresca, he has operated in a defensive midfield role in recent weeks and scored his only goal of the campaign in the position against Bournemouth.
But when Tuchel was asked if this could be tested on the international stage, he admitted that it might not be best for his playing style.
“We rarely did it in Chelsea. If you play a dominant game like today, he can be a hybrid midfielder to create an overload. He plays demolished balls. He is very confident,” he said.
“If there are many transitions in midfield, I am not sure if it fits him perfectly. The quality of Reece is at the highest level.
“We have been close contact in recent weeks. We were sure and learned that he trained without pausing.
“We knew that he was in good condition and mentally in a good space. That's what he proved. He was very positive in the camp.”
Comments