Enzo Maresca has had some positive things to say about Reece James in the build-up to Chelsea’s match against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday.
Reece James played a key role in Chelsea salvaging a point from their 2-2 draw with Bournemouth during the week.
It was the Chelsea captain who stepped up in stoppage time to score an excellent free-kick that levelled things up for the Blues.
Now fit again, it has been claimed that Real Madrid are interested in signing James this month.
Reece James’ leadership skills improving
In the past, Maresca has criticised James for not doing enough in his role as club captain.
However, it looks like there has been some improvement, with the Chelsea manager saying as much in his recent pre-match press conference.
Speaking to the Daily Mirror and the rest of the English media, Maresca said: “In general Reece is one of the most important players for us because he is the captain.
“We know since we started with him that having him always fit, fit, fit is better. But we try to adapt. Now he’s back and we’re happy. And he’s improving in that [leadership] aspect.”
Chelsea’s squad is a very young one, with James being one of the more experienced players in it despite being just 25 himself. It means Maresca needs him to keep growing as a leader.
Levi Colwill may not get armband any time soon
Coming through the Chelsea academy, Levi Colwill would probably love to be the Blues’ permanent captain.
The central defender got the chance to lead out his side last season, while Maresca has stated that he could become skipper in the future.
When Maresca spoke about Colwill at the start of the year, he said: “I can see the leader day by day, since we started in pre-season, something that he can improve in terms of leadership. He is improving a lot.
“Levi, even if he is not wearing the armband, he is one of the captains and in the future, he could be a captain of this club. Since we started, he is improving a lot.”
However, with James likely to be at Chelsea for a while and improving his own leadership skills, Colwill could be waiting for a long time before he becomes club captain.
It is good, though, that he already possesses some leadership skills. Again, this Chelsea squad is not the oldest. It needs figures like Colwill who can be like a bit of a commander.
The armband is not needed to be that, just look at Thiago Silva last season, for example. Colwill is young, but he is clearly proving to be a good example in the Chelsea ranks.
Receive a digest of our best Chelsea content each week direct to your mailbox
