James was sent off as Chelsea lost 4-1 on the weekend. (Picture: Getty)
Reece James has sought out the leadership advice of Rugby World Cup-winning captain Siya Kolisi as he continues to grapple with his role as Chelsea skipper.
The full-back was sent off for a second bookable offence in the second half against Newcastle as his side collapsed to a disappointing 4-1 defeat at St James’ Park.
The loss marks the Blues’ fifth defeat already this season and has them languishing in tenth place, a mammoth 12 points off the top four.
James’ torrid afternoon at St James’ Park, meanwhile, continues his own disappointing start to the season.
The 23-year-old replaced Cezar Azpilicueta as club captain in the summer but has struggled to stay fit so far this campaign, with last weekend’s outing only his sixth Premier League game this season.
Such injury struggles – paired with the stuttering start made by Mauricio Pochettino’s side this campaign – have led the England international to reach out for help as he looks to improve his leadership qualities and spark an upturn in his team’s fortunes.
He has reportedly been leaning on veteran defender Thiago Silva for advice and recently flew to Paris during the international break to meet with Kolisi, captain of the men’s South African rugby team.
Kolisi has won two Rugby World Cups since becoming Springboks captain (Picture: Getty)
Kolisi guided the Springboks to back-to-back World Cup titles in 2019 and earlier this year in France and is lauded for his ability as a unifying spokesperson for a country so often divided.
James, who apologised afterward the Newcastle defeat for his red card, will be hoping the Springboks skipper’s advice will rub off on him as Chelsea enter the crucial Christmas period.
Pochettino, for his part, was unwilling to criticise his captain publicly for the sending off, saying in his post-match press conference: ‘Disappointed… look this type of thing happens in football.
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‘Of course, disappointed of course because we should finish with a player but it happens and we need to accept.’
James will be suspended for the game against Brighton on Sunday but will be back for the crunch away fixture against Manchester United on Wednesday 6 December.
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