James played the entire Champions League quarterfinal match between Chelsea and Real Madrid at Stamford Bridge. The full-back appears to have suffered from the pressure of the match and having to play every three days. Despite James’ hamstring injury during the game, he made an effort to support Chelsea and change the outcome of the match.
The Blues ultimately lost the tie by a score of 4-0, and as a result, they also lost James for the remainder of the season. James was one of Chelsea’s top players during the game despite sustaining a hamstring injury during play, and Lampard lauded the kid for the efforts he was able to make.
“Knowing him as a lad, I’m not surprised. I think Reece was also possibly the best player on the pitch with a dodgy hamstring, so it goes to show his level as a player. With Reece, we have to find a way that we can get all that capacity he’s got and get more consistent with his availability at times because he’s such a top player. Mason is the same; he has been playing through [an injury] because he wants to contribute to the club, and players who really want to contribute to Chelsea are what it’s all about,” Frank Lampard said, as quoted by Chelsea FC.
James’s desire to perform even in pain defined the pride of a player who loves playing football. ‘I don’t think it’s about loving Chelsea necessarily,’ Lampard clarified. ‘It’s about having pride in what you do and loving playing football, and understanding that it takes real motivation and desire and the basics before you even get to the finer details. It should be a prerequisite for players playing in a team when you want to be a top team in the Premier League,” Lampard added.