Chelsea youngster Reece James has said that he is learning from Blues’ boss Frank Lampard due to his own experiences as a professional player.
The former midfielder swapped his boots for a place on the sideline just last season when he took over at Championship side Derby County.
Lampard led the Rams to the playoff final before he was tempted away from Pride Park by the club where he spent the majority of his playing career.
The Chelsea head coach played 648 times in a blue shirt and while he may still be an inexperienced manager, full-back James believes that his experience on the pitch is proving to be invaluable.
"It’s great playing under a Chelsea legend," James said (via the Mirror ).
"When I was supporting the club and growing up he was one of the leaders in the team so for him to manage you, and show you things that he learned within his game, a lot of people listen and you can learn a lot from him."
James has broken into the team at Chelsea this season, having impressed on loan at Wigan Athletic during the 2018/19 campaign, winning the club’s player of the year award.
The 20-year-old has made 17 Premier League appearances this season and has named Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling as his toughest opponent, despite only playing the final 30 minutes of the game against City.
“He’s got mad pace and is so sharp off the ball," was the reason the full-back gave his choice.
With the European Championships being delayed by a year due to the coronavirus outbreak, James will be hoping that he can continue to impress and join up with Sterling on the international stage too.
