Manchester City right back Kyle Walker has ventured into the podcasting world with the help of BBC. The England international released the first episode and has already made some interesting comments that has helped the podcast get some attention. The 34-year-old was asked to pick the best right-back in the world aside from him. Now considering that he is one of the best players in the world at that position, the next name was always going to be an interesting one. Walker picked Reece James as his choice and gave some strong reasons why.
The Chelsea captain has had a rough couple of seasons dealing with injuries. However, whenever he is on the pitch, it is very difficult to keep your eyes of him. His raw strength and ability to put the perfect cross in makes him a very difficult player to play against for any team. Chelsea have struggled in his absence, but they have tried to neutralize some of the struggles by adding a talented RB in Malo Gusto.
Kyle Walker and Reece James are two of the best players in the right back position for England. While they certainly have to fight for the same position while playing for England, the two clearly share mutual respect for each other. Speaking about what makes James so special, Walker said on his podcast, “He’s just got everything. Everything. If I could make a complete right-back, it would be him. Defend, attack, technically, both-footed, dead-ball situations, quick.’’
Reece James needs to fix his injury issues
The praise coming from a six time Premier League champion indicates how special a player Reece James is. He was also named as the toughest opponent by Walker’s teammate Jeremy Doku, who has faced the England international just once in the Premier League. In the game against Chelsea, the City winger was expected to make a lot of noise with his silky skills, but Reece James put on his usual masterclass and silenced the Belgian.
Reece James has everything in his game that can make him one of the greatest to ever play as a right-back, but what is stopping him from doing that are injuries. The Chelsea player played just 10 PL games this season. Out of those just 5 came as starts, which was one of the leading reasons behind the club’s dismal run at the start of the season.
According to reports, James’ lingering knee issues have been solved after the surgery that he had last year. He got back into action with a game winning assist against Bournemouth towards the end of the 2023-24 campaign. One of James’ goals for the next season should be his fitness. The most appearances that he has made in a PL season is 32. Considering the fact that he is a leading defender in the team, those are not great numbers.
With Thiago Silva leaving the club, James is one of the most experienced names in the Chelsea team. He has been at the club since a very young age and understands what it means to represent them. With a new manager arriving, there are hopes that James’ injury luck improves. Like Walker mentioned he is the most complete players at the RB position. If he manages to stay fit, Chelsea will become a difficult side to beat.
