Enzo Maresca has expressed that he was “hoping for more” leadership from club captain Reece James, admitting that Chelsea is currently lacking a “true leader” in their squad.
In a recent public statement, Maresca encouraged James to showcase “more personality” behind the scenes at Chelsea, following a private discussion on the topic.
James made his season debut during last weekend’s match against Liverpool after recovering from another hamstring injury he picked up during pre-season. The 24-year-old will be limited to one match per week for the time being as Chelsea aims to manage his fitness. Still, Maresca is eager to see more from his captain, especially off the pitch.
“I had a chat with him, and I really expected him to step up more in terms of leadership, whether in the locker room or in various situations,” said the Chelsea head coach. “He’s on the right track and making progress, but I believe Reece can provide more leadership as well.”
“Sometimes when players become captain, they might think that being captain means they can ask for more from others. But I believe that being a captain means you need to give more than everyone else,” he added. “It’s not about thinking, ‘I’m the captain, so I can do less.’ He is one of the captains, and both his teammates and I expect him to consistently lead by example.”
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Reece was appointed Chelsea’s new club captain in August last year but has only made 10 league appearances since, receiving two red cards under former coach Mauricio Pochettino. Now, he faces the challenge of demonstrating his leadership both on and off the field to Maresca, who feels the squad lacks leaders but sees potential in defenders Tosin Adarabioyo, Levi Colwill, and Marc Cucurella.
“He knows we’re looking for more from him,” Maresca shared about James. “He’s one of our academy products, which is why we need him to show more personality. When you don’t have a solid leader, it’s essential to cultivate that quality. Right now, I don’t think we have a true leader.”
“Tosin is probably one of those who could step up,” he added. “For the others, we need to help them develop into leaders. Reece is getting there, but he still has work to do.”
“Levi has been doing a fantastic job in this regard. At the start of the season, he might not have seemed like a leader, but now he’s consistently vocal and supportive. That’s exactly what we need to build on. Marc Cucurella is also showing great promise. We definitely need more leaders in our squad.”
