Reece James' father Nigel says that he thanked Cesar Azpilicueta on the pitch after Chelsea's Champions League win for looking after his son.
The young Chelsea star has made a big impact on the first team since arriving back from a loan deal at Wigan Athletic in the 2018/19 season.
James was initially facing a battle against the Chelsea stalwart and saw his fair share of game time as Frank Lampard opted mostly for a flat four in defence.
However, over the last year there has been an evolution, with both Lampard and Thomas Tuchel opting for a back-three and wing-backs, so James and Azpilicueta have been featuring together regularly.
James' father says he hopes his son can have the type of career that Azpilicueta has been able to forge for himself at Stamford Bridge, having arrived from Marseille back in 2012.
"What he’s achieved in the game, you only pray to God to give Reece that same career," James told the Byline podcast.
"[The] most important thing is how he is as a person. He’s a family man, he’s a great role-model.
"[After the final] I thanked him for looking after my son."
James could be set to play a big part for England at this summer's Euro 2020 tournament, with Mateo Kovacic's Croatia the first game on Sunday afternoon.
James was called up amid an incredibly strong right-back department for Gareth Southgate to make decisions on, and earned his place following a stellar season for the Blues.
