Reece James has shed light on his day-to-day struggles dealing with persistent injuries against the backdrop of Chelsea’s turbulent season by posting a page of his diary on Instagram.
The Chelsea star has struggled with injury all season. He first suffered a knee injury that ruled him out of club action in October and November and prevented him from traveling to Qatar with Gareth Southgate’s World Cup squad.
At false dawn in December, James returned for one game at the end of the year, but his premature return forced him to leave within an hour and be sidelined until February.
James was briefly able to return to action in April before suffering a hamstring injury at the end of the month that ruled him out for the rest of Chelsea’s campaign.
The right-back has been a linchpin for the Blues since his promotion to the first team during Frank Lampard’s first spell in charge at Stamford Bridge. The season.
Reece James shared an intimate diary about his ongoing injury nightmare on Monday night
The entry was littered with positive comments, but James was honest about the ‘lowest low’ he’s experienced in a turbulent season
But James offered rare insight into the emotional impact of a season largely spent on the sidelines when he shared a handwritten diary entry from earlier in May.
“Injuries affect me a lot. When I’m not playing I feel like the world is against me,” James wrote. “The smallest things drive me wild. It’s not good or normal, but it is what it is.
“I’m doing my best, but mentally it’s hard, super hard and exhausting. The outside world thinks this “football life” is the perfect life, let me tell you it is far from it. Many people will never know what it’s like, but it’s a crazy journey, full of highs and lows.
“Where am I in that (at the moment), currently the lowest of my career lows to date. It’s stupid, but with hard work and patience it gets better, without rain nothing grows!’
James has previously shared on Instagram how an injury has affected his mental health, doing so in late 2022, calling the year “the hardest yet” and thanking his fans for their support.
The diary also sheds light on the activities James has turned to to improve his mental well-being and divert his attention from his personal struggles and those of his club.
“Lately I’ve been trying a lot of things to take my mind off football and injuries and how the season is over,” added James. ‘I started boxing, which I like very much, and I also like tennis a lot.
“These are places where my mind thinks of nothing else and help me every day. One thing I will say is that with bad times come great lessons.
“I learned so much as a person. I’m thankful for what I’ve learned because this will be used when I’m in an as**t moment again. Cream always rises to the TOP! I will come back. The biggest ones never fold.’
The defender ended his attempt with an excerpt from the Bible, “John 13:7: You may not know now, but you will understand later,” before asking his followers if he should post more diary entries.
Ahead of Chelsea’s last game of the season against Newcastle on Sunday, Lampard revealed that James had tried to return to training before the game, but dropped out after suffering a bit from the hamstring injury.
The player and his club will wait with bated breath for the results of a hamstring scan to determine if there is any further damage to the tendons.
The 23-year-old’s injury crisis is just one of many the Blues have endured this season, with the likes of Thiago Silva, Ben Chillwell, N’Golo Kante and Mason Mount falling victim to lingering injuries.
Physiotherapist Jose Calvarro was one of several medical staffers who were sacked in September 2022, but a vocal campaign from older players led Chelsea to re-hire Calvarro just seven months later.
James will be hoping for full fitness ahead of a fresh start in pre-season with new coach Mauricio Pochettino.
Chelsea formally appointed the former Tottenham manager on Monday, ending weeks of speculation over the club’s next permanent manager.
The 23-year-old was forced off just 53 minutes into his return in December 2022.
The defender focused on boxing and tennis to take his mind off recurring difficulties
Raheem Sterling – who came into form a little late at the end of the season at The Blues – hailed the Argentine’s arrival, stressing the need for ‘leadership’ after a chaotic campaign that saw four managers in the dugout in Western London sat.
“He’s exactly the person we need,” Sterling told Arab News. “He will bring leadership, he will challenge players physically and mentally.
“I feel like he’s going to come here and he’s going to have the personality that everyone will respect.
“That’s what we need, someone in charge.”