England defender Reece James says the constant talk around his injury problems is “so boring now”.
James’ career has been plagued by injuries, which saw him suffer heartbreak when ruled out of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, a disappointment that was compounded by also missing England’s run to the Euro 2024 final.
Another injury with Chelsea disrupted the second half of his season before returning for the final few games and earning a seat on the plane to North America.
James says the narrative about his injuries is wearing thin.
“People always talk about injuries and availability, and to me it’s so boring now.” James told BBC 5 Live.
“I have one job, which is to be the best I can when I’m on the pitch. To be honest, I understand the stigma at the start, but after a while it gets boring.
“I’ve been fit for a long time before my last injury, and I don’t listen to too much noise.
“I just focus on myself, my body, trying to perform the best I can and help the team I’m playing in.”
James is Thomas Tuchel’s first-choice right-back and he says he “connects really well” with the boss as the pair aim to win another major trophy together.
The 26-year-old played under Tuchel at Chelsea as the club won the Champions League in 2021 and feels the trust of his manager.
“We worked together previously at Chelsea, we won trophies together, and I love playing under him,” he told talkSPORT.
“Him as a person, him as a manager, it just connects really well with him. I like his managerial side and his personal side as well.
“If you look across the board of top managers, there’s some amazing managers that are solely football focused, and then there are some that are very good man-managers and not so good managers.
“But, for me, he ticks both the boxes.
“I’ve been in a few dressing rooms when he’s come out with good speeches, at half-time, before the game, after the game.
“We all want the same thing, we’re all fighting for the same goal, and it comes from his passion and willingness to want to win.”
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Tuchel’s belief in James’ ability is such that he even chose to play him in a holding midfield role during the second half of England’s opening win over Croatia on Wednesday.
Jordan Henderson and Kobbie Mainoo were left on the bench as James switched from full-back.
“Wherever I play on the pitch, I try to do my best and try to help the team,” he added.
“I went in there and my job is to feel what they were doing, and try and help the team the best I can, and I tried to do that.
“The team has changed a lot. In previous years there were a lot more experienced older players here, there’s a new generation that is here, and I try and share my experiences with some of the younger players who haven’t experienced this before.”
