Former Chelsea midfielder John Mikel Obi has urged England international Reece James to step up his leadership role as the club’s captain, Soccernet.ng reports.
The London club suffered a 3-nil defeat at the hands of Kaoru Mitoma and Yankuba Minteh during their visit to the Falmer Stadium in their last outing.
Following the turnout of the game, the former Nigeria international questioned whether the defender possessed the vocal presence needed to inspire his teammates.
“The club needs you [Reece James] to do more,” Mikel said. “Sometimes the manager even said to JT [John Terry], ‘Go speak to him [any player in the team at that time]. You are the f*cking captain, you [are] the leader, go speak to him.’”
The former captain of the Super Eagles believes James still has a long way to go in asserting himself as a commanding figure in Chelsea’s dressing room.
“You think Reece James is going to speak to Enzo Fernandez? No, I don’t see that happening. That was why I said Reece James has to do more as a captain,” Mikel added.
However, the 2012 Champions League winner acknowledged that James’ persistent injury struggles have hindered his ability to lead from the front.
“You can only do more by your performances, by being on the pitch, showing leadership on the pitch. He has been injured for half of his career at Chelsea. So you can’t go meet your players because you [also] need to be on the pitch.”
James was appointed Chelsea’s captain ahead of the 2023/24 season but has endured multiple injury setbacks, which have indeed limited his impact on the team.
Despite his talent, Mikel’s comments suggest that the 25-year-old must establish himself as a consistent presence before fully embracing the leadership responsibilities that come with the armband.
