Chelsea boss Graham Potter believes that Reece James can become a legend for the club amid his recent comparisons with Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold.
The right wing-back scored and assisted in the Blues’ 3-0 win over AC Milan on Wednesday night in what could prove to be a crucial Champions League win.
James has been in good form in recent weeks, and now has four goals and assists to his name so far this season.
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Over the past few months the 22-year-old has been compared to Alexander-Arnold, with both players proving to be highly impressive for their respective clubs.
One particular competition between the two has been the starting spot in the England side, with James most recently being the preferred choice for Gareth Southgate.
He has been a key player for Chelsea since his arrival into the first team back in 2019, and now his new boss has revealed his high hopes for him.
Speaking to the media after the win against Milan, Potter responded to claims that James could be the best in the world in his position.
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“I haven't watched that much to give you that answer,” said the head coach.
“For us, we love him. He's so important for us.
“My job is to help him reach his potential, and his potential is he can be a Chelsea legend with anybody. That is the level he has, the potential that he has.
“For that to happen, he has to be part of a successful team. That's what we're working towards.”
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Going into the match against Milan, Chelsea knew that they needed to win to still stand a chance of reaching the Champions League knockout stages.
Heading into the clash they were bottom of Group E but come the full-time whistle, they had moved up to second after their win.
Summer arrival Wesley Fofana opened the scoring in the first half with his finish from close range.
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Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang then doubled the Blues’ lead in the opening few minutes of the second half, with the striker tapping in from James’ cross.
The latter soon made it game, set and match just moments later as he fired the ball into the roof of the net from Raheem Sterling’s pass.
Chelsea are now at the halfway point of the group stages in this season’s competition and will next face Milan at the San Siro.
Potter took charge of his third game at the club on Wednesday night, following the draw against FC Salzburg and the win against Crystal Palace.
Topics: Chelsea, Graham Potter, Reece James, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Champions League, AC Milan
Robert Calcutt