“He’s a special player” – Kai Havertz praises ‘very good’ Chelsea teammate after his brace in win over Burnley

Chelsea forward Kai Havertz has heaped praise on teammate Reece James after the English defender’s fine display in the side’s 4-0 win over Burnley on Saturday.

James, 22, had been out of action with a hamstring injury since late December. He made his return in Chelsea’s loss to Liverpool at the Carabao Cup Final last Sunday.

He scored in the Blues’ 4-0 thrashing of Burnley on Saturday where he impressed at right wing-back for Thomas Tuchel’s side.

Havertz has praised the England international whose two goals bring his total to five goals and six assists in the ongoing Premier League season.

Havertz told BBC (via Inside Futbol):

“He’s a special player for us, a very important player for us. He’s a full-back, but he also scores. He’s a great character and a very good player.”

Chelsea next play Norwich City at Stamford Bridge on Thursday, looking to build on Saturday’s big win and consolidate their place in the top four.

Could Chelsea defender Reece James be England’s first-choice right-back?

James’ performances this season have led many to tout him as the best English right-back presently.

Not only is the Chelsea Academy graduate showing his defensive capabilities, but, as Havertz mentions, he is also having a huge contribution on the attacking side of things.

But there are a huge number of top performing English right-backs that manager Gareth Southgate has to choose from.

Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold continues to flourish under manager Jurgen Klopp. He too is renowned for his attacking nuance, having contributed two goals and 11 assists in 24 Premier League games this season. It is his dead-ball talents that perhaps see him being regarded as the best right-back in the league.

The 23-year-old has a phenomenal strike and he picked up another assist on Saturday against West Ham United.

Manchester City’s Kyle Walker can be dubbed ‘Mr Reliable’ as he continues to show consistency year after year. The defender has been able to adapt himself brilliantly to Pep Guardiola’s system at the Cityzens and he can play at right-back, wing-back, and centre-back.

Kieran Trippier joined Newcastle United in January from La Liga side Atletico Madrid, with many questioning his reasons for the move. But the former Tottenham Hotspur man has shown his leadership qualities and is a Southgate favorite, having featured prominently for the national side under the coach.

There is also a list of budding young talents coming to the fore. The likes of Southampton defenders Tino Livramento and Kyle Walker-Peters, Brighton’s Tariq Lamptey and West Ham’s Ben Johnson are just a few.

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It is clear Southgate will have a ton of talent to choose from at right-back ahead of England’s quest for World Cup glory in Qatar at the end of the year.