“Don’t give up on him” “He will win you trophies at Chelsea” – Joe Cole urges Enzo Maresca to keep faith in Chelsea star after win over Copenhagen
Chelsea legend Joe Cole has heap praise on Chelsea captain Reece James following his outstanding performances in the Blues’ latest 2-1 UEFA Conference League last-16 first leg win over Copenhagen.
Earlier this Thursday (March 6), James captained his team to a win over Copenhagen at Parken Stadium. He also scored with a long-range shot in the 46th minute before Enzo Fernandez and Gabriel Pereira bagged a goal each for their sides.
After the end of the European clash, Cole shared his thoughts on James and suggested that the right-back can potentially return to his best self. He said on TNT Sports (h/t Metro):
“He will have the respect of every player at Chelsea because of what he can do technically and physically. When he was at his best, he was as good as anyone in the world, no doubt about that. It’s just about him finding his inner peace and managing him into games.”
Cole, who helped the Blues lift three Premier League titles, concluded:
“He can play in midfield, he did it when he was on loan at Wigan Athletic and got Player of the Year there as a young kid. He looks comfortable there. He’s got so much to offer Chelsea and so much to offer England. It’s so great to see him impacting the game like he did tonight. Don’t give up on Reece James because there is still a real, real world-class player in there.”
James, 25, has made just 12 appearances across all competitions for his side this season due to two separate hamstring injuries. He has bagged two goals and provided an assist in 736 minutes of first-team action for Chelsea so far.