‘Boring Now’—Reece James Hits Out at Media Narrative—But Talk Won’t Stop

England’s first-choice right back at the World Cup is fed up with hearing the same old chatter.

Reece James’ past injury problems have been extensively documented. | Ulrik Pedersen/NurPhoto/Getty Images

England right back Reece James has labeled the constant talk over his battle with injuries as “boring” and says he’s trying to block out the noise and just focus on his soccer.

Chelsea’s captain is regarded as one of the world’s best fullbacks on his day, capable of producing outstanding moments at either end of the pitch. But his career has been derailed for a number of years because of persistent injury problems, limiting the 26-year-old to just 25 international caps to date.

James is expected to play a big role for England as the 2026 World Cup progresses, and he tucked a first full 90 minutes under his belt as the Three Lions rose to the occasion to see off Croatia 4–2 in its opening group game.

It was a pleasing moment for James, who missed the 2022 World Cup through injury and also missed the final of Euro 2024, but talk of minutes management is never far away. It’s a source of frustration for England’s No. 24, who is bemused by his potentially availability always being brought up.

“People always talk about injuries and availability, and to me it’s so boring now,” James told BBC Radio 5 Live. “I have one job, which is to be the best I can when I’m on the pitch. To be honest, I understand the stigma at the start, but after a while it gets boring.

“I’ve been fit for a long time before my last injury, and I don’t listen to too much noise. I just focus on myself, my body, trying to perform the best I can and help the team I’m playing in.”

Compete against the world. | SPORTS ILLUSTRATED

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Tuchel Ticks the Boxes for Success

Thomas Tuchel got a classy performance out of Jude Bellingham against Croatia. | Alex Pantling/FIFA/Getty Images

Thomas Tuchel is invariably in the headlines for one reason or another, whether or not it’s praise for his on-field tactics and honesty in interviews, or criticism for some of his team selections. But in James’s mind, the German is not only a top manager when it comes to on-field matters, but also when it comes to connecting with players and bonding.

James has greater experience of working with Tuchel, owing to the pair’s time together at Chelsea, and he insists that his “passion and willingness to want to win” stems from the fact that everybody in the England camp is “fighting for the same goal.”

“We worked together previously at Chelsea. We won trophies together, and I love playing under him,” James told talkSPORT. “Him as a person, him as a manager, it just connects really well with him. I like his managerial side and his personal side as well.

“If you look across the board of top managers, there’s some amazing managers that are solely football focused, and then there are some that are very good man-managers and not so good managers.

“For me, he ticks both the boxes. I’ve been in a few dressing rooms when he’s come out with good speeches, at halftime, before the game, after the game. We all want the same thing, we’re all fighting for the same goal, and it comes from his passion and willingness to want to win.”

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Will James Remain in England’s Team Throughout the World Cup?

Tino Livramento’s World Cup was ended before it started. | Bradley Collyer/PA Images/Getty Images

Though James feels it’s time to move on from talking about injuries, the fact Tino Livramento had to leave the World Cup because of an injury of his own means the spotlight is even brighter on England’s right back options.

Trevoh Chalobah was drafted into the squad to replace Livramento, and although he’s capable of playing at right back—as is John Stones—it’s not a position that’s familiar to him. It means James and Djed Spence, who has been capped just seven times, are the only recognized right backs in England’s squad, meaning there’s a pressure on the former to stay fit.

One thing Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior did during their respective times as Chelsea manager last season was rotate James in and out of the side. He played 39 games across all competitions, including 29 in the Premier League—the second highest amount in his career to date—and benefitted from the chance to rest as Malo Gusto came into the team.

England don’t really have that luxury, especially at a big tournament, so James’s health is likely to remain a talking point as the knockout stages begin, particularly when fatigue and other niggles start to play more of a role in proceedings.

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