Chelsea have officially announced the new club captain – and as most predicted, it’s Reece James.
The right-back has been at the club since childhood and has worked his way into the first team, establishing himself as one of the best in Europe in his position along the way.
There were plenty of other great candidates for the role, including Thiago Silva and Ben Chilwell, but given it was always likely to be a homegrown player if possible, once Mason Mount left James was always the front-runner.
Clearly, Mauricio Pochettino has liked what he’s seen in preseason and has now given the green light to giving James the armband.
You can see the club’s announcement video in the clip embedded here:
Chelsea captain. đź’™ pic.twitter.com/tS7s8iX4aU
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 9, 2023
It certainly wasn’t a no brainer decision – for all his talents James has struggled with injuries, and he’s not a bombastic talker or big speechmaker. But he can lead by example with his determination and his sheer quality.
Congratulations, Captain Reece!