Wigan Athletic guest column: Reece James

Local derbies are always very passionate games, for players as well as supporters.

You saw with the Aston Villa-Birmingham game at the weekend how passionate they can be...hopefully it’s not as violent as that!

But the passion and the desire will certainly be there to get the three points, which we need.

Three points could put a bit of daylight to the bottom three, and give us something to hang on to.

On a personal note, I’ve been pleased with my form, and I’m determined to keep it going til the end of the season.

It’s obviously nice to hear and read nice things being said about you – it’s certainly not a bad thing!

But you can’t take too much notice, it’s all about the team and making sure we finish the season strong.

You just have to take it step by step and not get too advanced with yourself and acknowledge it.

All I can do is keep doing what I’m doing and keep my head down and focus on playing as well as I can.

I’ve played quite a bit of midfield over the last few weeks, and that’s been another challenge for me, very different.

As long as I’m playing, I’m enjoying myself to be honest.

I haven’t played too much midfield in the past, and I’m still picking up bits and bobs as I’m going along, learning the role.

But I would say long-term full-back is my position.

I’ve actually only been playing there since I was 14, 15.

And at the beginning, I didn’t really enjoy it...I hated it, hated it!

But then it got to a point where I came to love it, and here’s where I am.

Before that, I played across the frontline...right wing, left wing, centre-forward.

But I’m settled now at full-back, and that’s where I see my career going.

I’ve said it before, but I’m very much enjoying my time here at Wigan.

I’m playing week in, week out, learning a lot of things and meeting a lot of new people.

This is exactly why I came here on loan from Chelsea and it’s been great so far.

To be honest, there’s not much difference between the two football clubs, Chelsea and Wigan.

At the end of the day you’re doing the same stuff, albeit on a different scale.

But the main things, the people, they’re pretty much the same, there’s no major difference.

I’m in touch with people back at Chelsea on a regular basis.

They like to check up on me, which is nice, and it keeps me in touch with what’s happening back there.

All the games they get to see, and they give me feedback on what I’m doing good and what I’m doing bad.

At the moment I don’t have a clue what’s going to happen beyond this season.

I’ll just take it as it comes, see what happens.

Football’s all about opinions, and it depends on what the manager there is looking for.

If he likes me and he thinks I have a chance, then why not?

If not, it might be another loan and take it from there.

As a Chelsea fan, obviously the dream is to make it there full-time.

My heroes as a kid were (John) Terry, (Frank) Lampard, (Didier) Drogba...

To have Lampard helping out with the coaching there last season was a dream come true for me.

He was passing on his knowledge and experience, and it inspires you to want to give it your all to be as good as you can be.

Reece James was speaking to Paul Kendrick