Why Reece James compared himself to Pedro Neto after both did something different to help their team | OneFootball

Chelsea captain Reece James has today been speaking to the club’s official website about the team’s current form and his return to full time action.

He missed a large chunk of this season injured, but has been playing regularly since January now, his longest spell of action in a while.

One of his most recent games saw him deployed in midfield, a role he’s not played in for years, but one he can do well thanks to his ability on the ball and his physical size and strength.

Chelsea lost that game against Aston Villa, but only thanks to a late howler from their goalkeeper. They were otherwise pretty solid and having James in the middle was useful.

“Everyone wants the best for the team and the club, so we will all do what we need to do. Pedro [Neto], for example, isn’t playing in his position at the moment but he’s doing an amazing job to help the team and that’s the mindset.

“I enjoy playing anywhere on the pitch, no matter what position that is. Of course, it takes a little bit of time to get used to that role again, but I’ll do whatever is needed to help the team.”

Maresca could repeat James in midfield trick again in tougher games to come

Reece James applauds Chelsea fans after Brighton defeat. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)

We don’t expect the James in midfield experiment to return against Copenhagen or against Leicester as Enzo Maresca will be focused on getting as many attacking players onto the pitch as possible and won’t be as concerned about the defensive side of things.

However in the games to come after that against Arsenal and Tottenham, if we’re still without Romeo Lavia it’s certainly something we can envisage being deployed once again. Reece is happy to do it to help the team.