Young winger Estevao from Chelsea has opened up about his first encounter with team captain Reece James following his arrival at the training base in Cobham.
The Brazilian forward revealed that it was James who approached him first in the changing room, extending a warm welcome before the new season kicked off:
When I arrived at Cobham, I didn't see Reece right away. I was sitting in the changing room when he came over, shook my hand, and sat down next to me. The first thing he said was, 'Welcome to Chelsea. Are you ready for the new season?' We chatted for a few minutes before he touched on the subject of my transfer.
Reece mentioned that he had been following my performances back in Brazil: 'You should be proud of everything you've achieved there. But now you're at Chelsea, it's a different challenge, and I know you’re ready for it. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Just enjoy your football, work hard every day, and everything else will come.' Hearing that from the captain meant a lot to me because he knows what it takes to succeed at this club.
Before we went out to train, he looked at me and said, 'Forget all the noise outside. People will always talk, but what matters is what we do on the pitch. We have a talented squad, big ambitions, and now it’s up to us to show everyone what Chelsea is capable of this season.' That's Reece in a nutshell. He always thinks about the team first, always looks ahead, and that’s one of the reasons he’s such an important captain for this club.
