"He's been fantastic this year"- Harry Kane heaps praise on Chelsea man, picks his current best Premier League 5-a-side team

Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane has showered praise on Chelsea right-back Reece James while picking his current best Premier League five-a-side team.

The duo have played as teammates in the English national team and are opponents at club level. The attacker has now acknowledged his colleague's progress.

Reece James unsurprisingly made it to Kane's current best Premier League 5-a-side team. The 22-year-old is the only defender on the list, which also features other big names in the Premier League.

“Kind of need to put a defender in there, don’t I? I’ll go for Reece James. He’s been fantastic this year, and he can do some great attacking as well,” the Tottenham Hotspur striker said during a Q&A session with Amazon Prime Video Sport.

Kane also named his teammate Hugo Lloris in goal. Chelsea superstar N'Golo Kante features in midfield, while Son Heung-min and Mohamed Salah feature in attack.

“I’ll go Hugo (Lloris) in goal. Sonny (Heung-Min Son) up top. Mo Salah up top,” Kane said. “I’ll go for (N’Golo) Kante in midfield," he added.

It is a bit of a surprise that Kane didn't include himself in his current Premier League five-a-side team. Perhaps the Tottenham striker isn't convinced by his own start to the season. So far, he has bagged just five goals and two assists in the English top flight, which is a far cry from his usual numbers.

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How has Reece James fared at Chelsea so far this season?

Reece James in action for the Blues

It is quite impressive how Reece James has taken his game to another level at Chelsea in the last few months. The defender has been a standout performer for the Blues since the season kicked off, drawing praise for his brilliant performances.

So far, he has made 23 appearances across competitions, recording five goals and six assists. James has also proven to be a utility player for manager Thomas Tuchel. He has played in multiple positions this term - either side of the midfield, defensive midfield, centre-back and right-back.

James' brilliant season has hit a pause since he sustained a hamstring injury in the 1-1 draw against Brighton in December. But the Englishman is expected to be back in action this month when Chelsea begin their FIFA Club World Cup campaign.