Ben Foster thinks that Reece James was the wrong pick when he was made Chelsea’s club captain.
Reece James, who’s still 23, took the armband at the start of the season as the Blues skipper.
The super talented right-back is a boyhood Chelsea fan that’s come through the academy system, so we think he was a popular option in the summer.
However, it’s been suggested that Thiago Silva may have been more suited to the role of captain this year.
Big pressure
Foster reckons that James may be under too much pressure in Chelsea colours, so would’ve opted against making him the captain.
Instead, 39-year-old veteran defender Silva would have been his choice. In fairness, the £110,000-a-week centre-back (Spotrac) has played every minute in the league this season and is by far the most experienced individual in the squad.
“With regards to the captaincy, give it to Thiago Silva because it takes the pressure off Reece James,” Foster said on his YouTube channel.
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“Reece James is a Ferrari. I think he’s that good of a player when he’s fit and firing… I think they’ve heaped too much pressure on him. I think they’ve probably rushed him back with injuries. They’ve given him the captaincy. There’s too much focus on him. He wants to just get back to playing football.”
Reece James the right man
We’re prepared to stick our neck on the line and say James was still the right appointment.
The full-back will need to grow in his role as a captain by leading from the front, something he didn’t do with his red card in Sunday’s 4-1 defeat to Newcastle United in the Premier League. In fact, speaking via talkSPORT (1:41pm, 27 November), Andy Jacobs described James’ dismissal as “pathetic”.
However, it’s all part of the learning curve for the 23-year-old.
If fit, James should be the first name on Chelsea’s team sheet. We see no reason why he can’t learn his new role as a real talisman for this side.
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