"He is nearly old enough to be my dad!" - Reece James admits he takes advice from Chelsea teammate regarding captaincy issues

Chelsea captain Reece James has revealed that he often turns to experienced teammate Thiago Silva for direction on how to be a good captain. The Englishman spoke about his experience as captain of his boyhood club so far, detailing how he is getting to understand the role.

The Blues lost former captain Cesar Azpilicueta in the summer after he decided to move back to Spain and join Atletico Madrid. New manager Mauricio Pochettino immediately had to make a choice on who was to be the club's new captain ahead of the new season.

To the surprise of many, 23-year-old Reece James was named captain despite the presence of 39-year-old Thiago Silva in the squad. The right-back graduated from the Blues' academy and has been an important player for the club.

Speaking to the official Chelsea website, James revealed that he often turns to the veteran for advice on how to be captain. He highlighted the age difference between them, insinuating that the Brazilian is much wiser, saying:

"Thiago [Silva] probably helps me the most whenever I’m unsure, or I feel like I need advice on something. He is nearly old enough to be my dad! So he is the person I go to."

Thiago Silva is the oldest outfield player in the Premier League this season at 39 but has excelled in defense for Pochettino's side, starting every game. The manager revealed that he is one of his side's leaders, and does not need the armband to discharge his duties.

Reece James has missed about three months of the season through injury but returned to action in his side's 2-2 draw against Arsenal on October 21. In his absence, the captain's armband was worn by Ben Chilwell, Enzo Fernandez, Conor Gallagher, and Silva.

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Reece James can be Chelsea's X-factor

One of the best decisions taken by Chelsea in recent years was the integration of Reece James into the first team. The right-back has developed into a top-level player with consistent performances for his club.

Despite playing only five games this season, James has created five big chances and assisted one goal for the Blues. The Englishman has also been dribbled past 0.4 times per 90 and has a dribble success rate of 60%.

Reece James has the physicality and technical quality to be a world-class right-back. His quality is evident in his defensive and offensive contributions to the team.

The only hindrance to James has been his injury record over the past two seasons, as he is often injured and unavailable. Former managers Graham Potter and Frank Lampard missed the right-back at various points last season as he struggled with injuries. He has missed 34 games due to injury for Chelsea since the start of last season.

Reece James has already shown his quality for Chelsea this season with brilliant showings against Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City. Pochettino is managing his minutes to help build up his match fitness and prevent him from picking up another injury.