Rio Ferdinand has heaped huge praise on Reece James, picking the Chelsea star in his best England XI right now.
James, 22, is one of the current Chelsea players at Stamford Bridge in some top form.
He’s an absolute colossus on the pitch that’s so effective in both halves from his favoured right wing-back position.
Rio Ferdinand on Reece James
Ferdinand has edged James over Liverpool counterpart Trent Alexander-Arnold when choosing an England line-up.
In particular, he says it’s “ridiculous” how good the Chelsea full-back is when it comes to going forward.
“I think physically he can match people defensively and going forward is ridiculous. He’s in there (the penalty area) so much,” Ferdinand said.
He added James can dominate the right flank as a right wing-back in England’s system: “He would patrol the whole area on his own.”
Even Liverpool legend Graeme Souness recently said he would pick James over Alexander-Arnold for England, which is a testament to how good Chelsea’s all-round defender is.
James finished last season with six goals and 11 assists in 39 Chelsea appearances, so it’s clear how effective he is when he advances into the opposition’s defensive third.
His crossing has been such an excellent part of his game for a while now, with supporters convinced he’s been robbed of a hatful of assists by attacking teammates at club level.
There’s no doubt he’s a brilliant goalscoring threat himself when it comes to his shooting and movement around the box.
He breezes into the Chelsea line-up with ease, something that’s not guaranteed with England due to the amount of right-back talent in this country.
Despite some really credible rivals, James is the clear package that we view as cream of the crop.
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