As if anyone needed reminding, Reece James proved yet again why Chelsea have refused to give up on him over the past few years on Friday night.
The club captain’s glorious turn and cross was given the nod of approval by Marc Cucurella to help the Blues to a narrow but important win at Stamford Bridge.
The result has left them just 90 minutes away from Champions League qualification for next season, with a game against fellow hopefuls Nottingham Forest awaiting them on the final day of the campaign.
James will be hoping to feature in Enzo Maresca’s starting side for the big game, however he has found it more difficult in recent weeks to start following the return of Romeo Lavia.
Reece James breaks his own Chelsea record since 2022
Something that has been really encouraging for the skipper this season though is how he has been available for selection for nearly all of 2025.
Only the 1-0 win at home against Leicester in March has seen James not even make the bench, with that being due to illness.
In fact, according to journalist Simon Johnson, the England international has featured in more games this season since the 2021/22 season, with the majority of appearances coming in the second half of the campaign.
He said: “Reece James has now made his most appearances in a campaign for CFC (25) since playing 39 times in 2021-22. Encouraging thing is 21 have come since January – a consistent run.”
James has Maresca to thank for remaining fit
It will have been easy for manager Maresca to throw James straight back into the right-back role when he was back from injury, however he has refrained from doing this.
As well as substituting him early and frequently utilising him from the bench, the boss has taken workload off him by changing his position, playing him all across the backline and in the middle of midfield.
While James has not performed as well in midfield, Maresca admires him in that position and has even said he sees his future there.
Keeping him available for selection has been crucial for Chelsea’s late-season push though, and he will no doubt be called upon in some capacity for the final game of the season.
