‘There was no need for him to get involved’: Chelsea boss Frank Lampard warns Reece James he must learn to keep his head after he saw red for abusing the referee at the end of England’s loss to Denmark
- Reece James was sent off after full time following England’s loss by Denmark
- The Chelsea star had been shown a straight red for dissent on his full debut
- Frank Lampard revealed he has spoken to James and urged him to learn from it
Frank Lampard has spoken to Reece James about resisting the urge to abuse the referee after the Chelsea right back’s unnecessary red card following England’s defeat by Denmark.
Lampard says he has been there himself – both as a player and a manager – but that James has to learn how to keep his head after disappointing results.
The 20-year-old is set to face Southampton on Saturday in the Premier League’s first pay-per-view match, while Kepa Arrizabalaga could also return in goal.
Frank Lampard has spoken to Reece James after the Chelsea defender’s red card for England
Lampard urged James to learn from the sending off – which was for dissent after the game
Edouard Mendy has a thigh injury, and Lampard’s only other option is Willy Caballero. Hakim Ziyech is also set to make his Chelsea debut from the bench.
‘I expect a lot from Reece,’ Lampard said on James. ‘He showed against Belgium how comfortable he was when he came on.
‘So I thought the performance was really good. I did have a word with him about what happened at the end (against Denmark) and the fact he got involved with the referee.
‘Listen, we are all human. I have done it as a player, maybe even as a manager – none of us are saints. It will definitely be one for him to learn from.
The Chelsea boss wants the full back to keep his head after his superb showing was marred
Lampard has also had a word with Tammy Abraham and Ben Chilwell after their rule breach
‘There was no need for him to get involved with the referee after.’
Lampard also had a word with Tammy Abraham and Ben Chilwell, who both hit headlines over the international break for breaking Covid-19 rules by attending a birthday party.
‘When you’re 20, 22, 23 their lives are different and that’s why my words are not too harsh on Tammy and Ben,’ Lampard said. ‘They’re good, decent lads.
‘They admitted they made a mistake in terms of going to the party, which was against the rules. They were apologetic and we move on. I certainly didn’t come down too hard on them.’