Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has criticised Reece James’ ability as club captain, questioning whether the right-back has the leadership qualities needed to push his teammates to perform better.

Speaking on his podcast, Mikel expressed doubts over whether James can hold players accountable, particularly Enzo Fernandez, whom he believes is failing to justify his price tag.

“Ah f** that, no, you think Reece James is going to speak to Enzo Fernandez? No, I don’t see that happening,” Mikel said.

He further challenged James’ influence as captain, arguing that his constant injury struggles have limited his ability to lead by example.

“Reece James needs to do more as a captain. You can only do more by your performances, by being on the pitch, showing leadership on the pitch. He’s been injured half of his career at Chelsea.”

“You can’t go and say to a player ‘you know you need to do more’ – no, you need to be on the f*ing pitch.”