The quality of this ball is so good that it is almost tempting to take it for granted already with young Reece. It is the same when watching N’Golo Kante playing in midfield and winning tackle after tackle when he is second favourite to get the ball. He is in my opinion the best in the world at that skill and by some distance, but we are in danger of thinking it is normal because we see it so often. It isn’t, it is phenomenal every time. I have played with strikers such as Kerry Dixon, John Aldridge and Ally McCoist who would have scored every single week without fail had they been on the field with this quality and quantity of crosses coming in from our young full-back.



Reece is extraordinary in this area but looking at his performances of late it is becoming very clear that he is long away from being a one-trick pony. His tackling and recovery have been exceptional and still appear to be improving at a pace. His comfort on the ball is remarkable for one so young. In fact it is already impossible to think of him as a ‘raw’ 20-year-old.



He turned out last season for Wigan and as we all know, he was named player of the year for the Latics and had more appearances than anyone else at the club. That is superb in itself, but there were some seasoned Wigan fans at the end of the campaign who were seriously asking the question, ‘Is Reece James the best footballer ever to play for the club in its entire history?’ A bold suggestion, but even asking the question speaks volumes for a youngster only there for a season on loan.



The other exciting thing about Reece is that he is clearly comfortable in more than one position. He played in the midfield for Wigan with distinction and when he gets the ball in those areas for Chelsea, he looks just as at home there as he does when posted out on the right side. I almost said right wing there, because he spends so much of his time getting into those forward positions when we are in possession of the ball. Maybe that is no surprise in that he played on the wing as kid.