Chelsea's Reece James delighted to be playing for club and country again

By SABC Sport
25th March 2025

Reece James marked his long-awaited return to England's starting XI with a goal, helping his side to a comfortable 3-0 victory over Latvia.

The 25-year-old right-back, who had not started for his country in three years, opened the scoring with a superb free-kick.

James has endured a difficult few seasons due to persistent injury problems. Last year, he was limited to just 11 appearances for Chelsea across all competitions.

His struggles continued into this season, with two separate hamstring-related spells on the side-lines.

However, he has now returned to full fitness and quickly regained form, earning an England recall under former Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel.

Speaking after the match, James expressed his delight at being back on the pitch for his country.

"This is the best I've felt in a long time," James said after the win over Latvia.

"It means a lot more to me (playing for England). The last two-and-a-half or three years have been a struggle.

"I've had lots of injuries and it's been tough but towards the back end of this season I've been playing consecutively and I'm happy to be back playing for my club and for my country on a regular basis."