England defender James says discussing injury problems is ‘boring’

England defender Reece James says the constant talk around his injury problems is “so boring now”.

>James’ career has been plagued by injuries, which saw him suffer heartbreak when ruled out of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, a disappointment that was compounded by also missing England’s run to the Euro 2024 final.

>Another injury with Chelsea disrupted the second half of his season before returning for the final few games and earning a seat on the plane to North America.

>James says the narrative about his injuries is wearing thin.

>“People always talk about injuries and availability, and to me it’s so boring now.” James told BBC 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.”

>James is Thomas Tuchel’s first-choice right-back and he says he “connects really well” with the boss as the pair aim to win another major trophy together.

>The 26-year-old played under Tuchel at Chelsea as the club won the Champions League and feels the trust of his manager.

>“We worked together previously at Chelsea, we won trophies together, and I love playing under him,” he 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.

>“But, for me, he ticks both the boxes.

>“I’ve been in a few dressing rooms when he’s come out with good speeches, at half-time, 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.”

>Tuchel has so much faith in James that he even chose to play him in a holding midfield role during the second half of England’s opening win over Croatia on Wednesday.

>Jordan Henderson and Kobbie Mainoo were left on the bench as James switched from full-back.

>“Wherever I play on the pitch, I try to do my best and try to help the team,” he added.

>“I went in there and my job is to feel what they were doing, and try and help the team the best I can, and I tried to do that.

>“The team has changed a lot. In previous years there were a lot more experienced older players here, there’s a new generation that is here, and I try and share my experiences with some of the younger players who haven’t experienced this before.”