Chelsea academy Player of the Year embarks on first career loan move

The Chelsea Loan Army for the upcoming season is steadily growing in number. The latest addition is Reece James, Chelsea’s current Academy Player of the Year and Under-18 team captain, who will spend the 2018-19 season on loan at Wigan Athletic.

James, who can play in central defence or right-back, was a standout performer for Chelsea’s youth teams last season. A strong defender with tremendous crossing ability, James has all the qualities required to develop into a fine ball-playing defender. After winning nearly everything there is to win at the youth level — the UEFA Youth League and the Premier League 2 are the only titles James doesn’t have to his name — the 19-year-old is definitely ready to prove his mettle in the men’s game.

Wigan Athletic were promoted to the Championship after winning League One by two points last season, and will be looking to avoid a repeat of the vicissitudes that befell them the last time they ran out winners of the third division. Hopefully they will, with Reece James bombing down the right.